Appia Road Segment 02
From the Sepulchre of Emperor GALLIENUS (Ad Nonum I) to FRATTOCCHIE (Bovillae)
The Sepulchre of Emperor Gallienus (AD 253-268), comes to the visitor’s sight on the right side off the mile IX in the shape of a cylindrical domed mausoleum (currently under restoration – see picture date), probably in coincidence with the statio Ad Nonum I.
Proceeding further down Appia road, where the stretch of road is still practicable despite visible deterioration, we can see on the right the so called “Monte di terra“, another mausoleum with a quadrangular base and a 30m diameter cylindrical body.
After crossing “Via delle Capanne di Marino“, the route are improved by Appia Antica Regional Park.
Further on the right we can see a small grave and on the left a mausoleum partly hidden by the vegetation.
After a small bridge over a stream we can see on the right a grave in bad conditions and another still to be digging.
The next monuments is a great mausoleum so called “delle Mole” on the left.
Further we cross the railway Rome-Albano and we can see a site of a mansio (*) and a long part of a paved road.
After crossing ‘Via della Repubblica’,which leads to Santa Maria delle Mole, Appia road starts to gently go uphill towards Albano and appears in far better conditions, protected on both sides by fences.
The grave that comes to the visitor’s sight at that point served as foundations for a turret built in the 19th century for scientific purposes by the astronomer Angelo Secchi (1818-1878), who performed experimental trigonometric measurements on Appia road.
Excavations are currently (see picture date) being made in the area around the grave.
We have now reached Frattocchie (Bovillae), where Appia road meets the SS7 – modern Appia road – perfectly aligned with the ancient road.
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(*) See Mansio in the glossary