Appia Day
The widespread festival of the Regina Viarum, from Rome to Brindisi
About Appia Day
A festival along a 2,300-year-old road
Appia Day is a widespread festival dedicated to the Via Appia Antica, the Regina Viarum (Queen of Roads) opened in 312 BC by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus. Born in 2016 from an idea by the Velolove association, the event has become in just a few years the most anticipated appointment for those wishing to rediscover one of the world's most famous archaeological landscapes on foot or by bicycle. The headquarters are in Rome, in the VIII Municipality, where the consular road crosses the Appia Antica Regional Park and the Appia Antica Archaeological Park, but the festival is itinerant by vocation: it unfolds along the entire ancient route that reaches Brindisi from Rome, touching the regions of Lazio, Campania, Basilicata, and Puglia.
Why Appia Day has become a national event
In 2024, the Via Appia was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list: a recognition that gave even more strength to the event, transforming it from a Roman civic initiative into a grand celebration shared among dozens of municipal administrations. The cultural project is clear: not an open-air museum to be viewed from afar, but a living road to be travelled, cared for, and inhabited. Hence the choice to focus on soft mobility, environmental protection, and citizen participation, in line with the idea of a new, more sustainable urban vision attentive to the quality of life that the organisers advocate every year.
What to do during the two days
The programme is built from the ground up: associations, neighbourhood committees, archaeological groups, superintendencies, and volunteers propose their own initiatives, which flow into a single calendar. Recurring types of activities include:
- Special free openings of monuments, Roman villas, catacombs, and archaeological areas normally closed to the public;
- Guided tours led by archaeologists, art historians, and Park guides;
- Cycling itineraries, including the famous ArcheoGRAB, a loop of about 20 kilometres on the Roman stretch;
- Historical re-enactments with camps and demonstrations by Roman legionaries;
- Outdoor theatre, live music, and storytelling at archaeological sites;
- Educational workshops for children and families;
- Walks, trekking, and archeotours in the Caffarella Valley, at the Park of the Aqueducts, at the Villa dei Quintili, and at the Villa dei Sette Bassi;
- Exhibitions and meetings on the heritage and enhancement of the Regina Viarum.
The Roman stretch and the Castelli Romani
Those starting from Rome will find the most spectacular concentration in the first extra-urban stretch: the tomb of Cecilia Metella, the Capo di Bove complex, the Mausoleum of Romulus, and the original basalt paving flanked by maritime pines. Leaving the capital, the festival continues in the municipalities of the province of Rome and the Castelli Romani — Ciampino, Marino, Castel Gandolfo, Albano Laziale, Ariccia, Genzano di Roma, Nemi, Lanuvio, and Velletri — where a network of twelve associations coordinates archaeological walks, tastings of typical Lazio products, and days dedicated to the care and cleaning of the ancient route.
An event for everyone, and free of charge
The formula that has ensured the success of Appia Day is its free nature: all activities on the calendar have free admission, in many cases with mandatory booking due to capacity limits. It is an event suitable for families with children, cyclists, walkers, and archaeology enthusiasts, and represents one of the best ways to visit Rome outside the most crowded circuits, in a season — early autumn — particularly favourable for outdoor activities in the Roman countryside.
Appia Day — edition 2026
Appia Day 2026: eleventh edition
The festival returns to Rome and along the entire route of the Regina Viarum on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October 2026, with a calendar that in some territories extends until November. The leitmotif of the edition is «Appia, a path that unites»: the road as a cultural infrastructure capable of connecting different communities, from the VIII Municipality of the capital to the Apulian municipalities.
The 2026 edition is dedicated to Antonio Cederna, a journalist and environmentalist who dedicated much of his life to the protection of the Appia Antica and who is at the origin of the establishment of the Park. In the Castelli Romani, the associative network that brings together twelve entities — together with the municipalities of Ciampino, Marino, Castel Gandolfo, Albano Laziale, Ariccia, Genzano di Roma, Nemi, Lanuvio, and Velletri — is working on a joint programme of archaeological walks, cycling itineraries, meetings in schools, and tastings linked to local traditions.
Programme Appia Day 2026
What has already been announced
The complete calendar for Appia Day 2026 is published progressively on the official website appiaday.org in the weeks preceding the event, as associations, bodies, and volunteers propose their initiatives. The elements already confirmed by the organisers are:
- Special free openings of monuments and archaeological areas along the route, in Lazio, Campania, Basilicata, and Puglia;
- Guided tours with archaeologists and experts at the sites of the Regional Park and the Archaeological Park of the Appia Antica;
- ArcheoGRAB, the cycling tour of about 20 kilometres on the Roman stretch, starting from the Piramide area and crossing the Caffarella Park, the Park of the Aqueducts, and the areas of the Villa dei Sette Bassi and the Villa dei Quintili;
- Roman camp with the Legio Secunda Parthica Severiana, scheduled for 4 and 5 October, and further camps in the Cecilia Metella area and in Albano;
- Historical re-enactments, music, and theatre at archaeological sites;
- Educational workshops for children and families;
- Walks, trekking, and cycling itineraries from Rome towards the Castelli Romani (Velletri, Albano Laziale, Genzano di Roma, Ariccia);
- Exhibitions, conferences, and tastings of typical products organised by local associations.
Those who wish to participate can also propose their own event, apply as a volunteer, or support the initiative through the dedicated section of the official website.
Highlights Appia Day 2026
- Eleventh edition, dedicated to Antonio Cederna
- 2026 Theme: «Appia, a path that unites»
- Two days, Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October, with events continuing until November
- ArcheoGRAB: 20 km cycling loop on the Roman stretch
- Roman camp of the Legio Secunda Parthica Severiana
- Special free openings across four regions
- Nine Castelli Romani municipalities involved along with Rome
Prices Appia Day 2026
Practical information — Appia Day
How to get there
The Appia Antica Regional Park can be reached from Rome via the Metro Line A (Colli Albani or Furio Camillo stops) followed by a bus, or via Line B (Circo Massimo or Piramide stops) and the 118 bus line. The most popular cycle path to reach the ancient route also starts from Piramide. By car, it is recommended to park in the outer areas and continue on foot or by bicycle: during the festival days, the Via Appia Antica is traditionally closed to private traffic.
Costs
All Appia Day initiatives are free. Many guided tours and bicycle tours require advance booking via the calendar published on appiaday.org.
Tips
Wear comfortable shoes suitable for ancient basalt paving, and bring water and a hat. The bicycle is the ideal means to connect multiple events in the same day. The Park's information point is located at the Cartiera Latina, at Via Appia Antica 42.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Appia Day
Parco Regionale dell'Appia Antica e Parco Archeologico dell'Appia Antica
Via Appia Antica 42, 00179 Roma