In this issue: • Ghosts of the Via Appia: a brand new walking excursion for May '07
• Are you ready for an adventure? What to expect on your walking trip
• FAQs: Your questions answered
Coming 5 May '07: My favorite haunts along the most celebrated of the Roman roads
Ghosts of the Via Appia - Rome to Sermoneta
> an 8-day pre-planned excursion combining two days in Rome with highlights of the Alban Hills and Lepini Mountains
For conjuring up the spirit of Rome’s past and the souls who peopled it, the Via Appia is hard to beat. The earliest and most famous of the great Roman roads charted a 330-mile course to the Adriatic port of Brindisi, gateway to the East. It was a vital military and trade conduit, and it doubled as a propaganda piece: a visually stunning example of the perks available to those who would align themselves with the emerging superpower. The hard stone blocks were fitted together so carefully as to seem monolithic, spanning 32 feet with curbs, gutters and sidewalks. Such a road had never been seen before. It personified commercial prosperity, efficient administration and formidable military strength.
Two thousand years later the impression is still compelling. From the old city gates the road plunges straight across the countryside toward the dark bulk of the Alban Hills looming in the distance. This first leg of the Appia was a requisite stop for artists and literati during the European “Grand Tour” of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries; the evocative atmosphere was immortalized in poetry, essays, paintings and engravings. Here we gaze through a frame of umbrella pines into a dreamy scene of undulating green meadows, grazing sheep, and great villas standing haughtily aloof, much as in Roman times. Bringing our focus closer in, we find the ordinary citizens of the ancient city more approachable. Their graves line the margins of the road, and their stone-sculpted faces respectfully summon our attention. Some speak poignantly:
Stop, stranger, and look to your left, at a tomb that holds the bones of a good man, merciful, a friend to the poor. I beg you, traveler, do no harm to this tomb. Inside lies Caius Atelius Euhodus, freedman of Serranus, pearl merchant on the Via Sacra. Farewell, traveler.
Twelve miles out the road ascends the volcanic Alban Hills, legendary birthplace of Latin culture, where today colorful towns bustle with life amidst massive chunks of Roman villas and baths. In the forested hills nestle blue crater lakes, ancient roads and remnants of mysterious pagan sanctuaries. The perceptive hiker will discover bits of Roman walls and aqueducts and eerie caves and stone huts that once sheltered medieval hermits. Here the Grand Tour continued... Goya, Goethe, Stendahl and Longfellow were among the notables who stopped by to drink in the mystical ambience.
Near mile thirty five the Appia begins to skirts the chalky mass of the Lepini Mountains to the east, with picturesque hill towns perched dramatically along their fringe. Imposing defensive walls of huge limestone blocks catch our eye, testifying to a troubled past. Climbing the steep escarpment we arrive at the Roman ghost town of Norba, whose acres of stone remains have a tragic story to tell. It’s a breathtaking scene: below us passed the old postal road to Naples, its course marked by the great Caetani Castle of Sermoneta, the beautiful gardens of Ninfa, ruined churches and guard towers, and two striking medieval abbeys that still stand proudly, inviting a sojourn in their shady cloisters. In the distance glitters the blue Mediterranean...
Ghosts of the Via Appia: Rome to Sermoneta. Open sign-ups through 28 February 2007 (limit 6 persons). $1975 per person (double occupancy) includes all meals, lodging, transportation and baggage shuttle. 20% supplement for single room occupancy. Air fare to Rome not included.
Please note: this excursion has a fixed itinerary and dates (5-13 May). If you would prefer to choose your own itinerary and dates please visit romanroadwalks.com.
Norma
Watch for book release!
Text at left is excerpted from my essay, “Ghosts of the Via Appia,” which will appear in the forthcoming book by Mary Jane Cryan, Not Far from Rome: Travel Essays by People Who Live Here (Vetralla, Italy: Davide Ghaleb Editore)
Houses and Roman bath arch, Albano
Via Appia
Are you ready for an adventure? a word to prospective walkers
These excursions are unorthodox and adventurous by design. The groups are small (six or less) and the itineraries are generally well off the beaten path. As adventures go these are fairly tame, but they are not luxury vacations:
Walking is invigorating and fun, but requires of bit of effort.
Occasionally we make use of public transport, where bulky luggage is cumbersome. Traveling light is strongly advised.
Laundromats are rare - hand washing is the norm.
As is common in Europe, hotel rooms, bathrooms and showers are often small.
Minor itinerary changes are possible due to inclement weather, the closing of an attraction, a late train arrival, or a sudden inspiration on the part of your guide. Flexibility should be a basic item on your packing list.
If you’re okay with all this, your adventurous spirit will be rewarded with delicious meals, good wine, and comfortable accommodations in establishments carefully chosen for quality and ambience. And above all, a very personal experience of Central Italy’s natural beauty, colorful towns and rich history.
