Appia Day - Monteiasi Stage

Appia Day in Monteiasi

Appia Day is a major participatory event dedicated to the Via Appia Antica, the legendary Regina Viarum (Queen of Roads) that connected Rome to Brindisi across Southern Italy since ancient times. Launched in 2016 as a collective initiative by dozens of associations, institutions, and municipalities, the festival takes place every year in early autumn, featuring special openings, walking tours, cycling excursions, workshops, and free guided visits along the entire route. Since 2024, the Via Appia has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, a recognition that has given further momentum to the celebrations.

Monteiasi, a Apulian stop along the Regina Viarum

In the Province of Taranto, the Municipality of Monteiasi participates in Appia Day by welcoming walkers and hikers to its historic center. The heart of the event is Piazza Maria Immacolata, the meeting point and finish line for the initiatives, from which activities to discover the landscape and local traditions begin. The Monteiasi stage is part of a rich Apulian program that involves numerous locations along the Appia and its Traiana variant between the provinces of Taranto and Brindisi every year.

Trekking, nature, and community

The most anticipated moment of the day is the trekking route connecting the natural areas of the territory to Monteiasi: a walk of about fourteen kilometers that starts from the shores of the Mar Piccolo in Taranto and leads participants to the village, passing through countryside, olive groves, and stretches of ancient roads. The initiative, organized in collaboration with local hiking and cycling associations, combines physical activity with the rediscovery of the environment and the historical memory of these places.

A widespread and free festival

Like all Appia Day stages, the Monteiasi event is free and open to everyone: families, hiking enthusiasts, citizens, and visitors. The goal is to promote shared heritage, bring people closer to the history of the Via Appia, and strengthen the sense of community through outdoor activities. The event represents a precious opportunity to get to know Monteiasi and the inland Puglia region, away from the most beaten tourist paths, following the tracks of the road that connected Rome to the Adriatic Sea for centuries.

A heritage to be experienced on foot

Participating in Appia Day means literally walking on history, rediscovering a landscape made of centuries-old olive trees, villages, and archaeological evidence. In Monteiasi, the day also becomes a moment of celebration and meeting, where the small community of the Taranto province opens up to visitors and shares its bond with the Regina Viarum.