''Via Asinaria'' was an ancient Roman road that started from ''

Porta Asinaria The Porta Asinaria is a gate in the Aurelian Walls of Rome. Dominated by two protruding tower blocks and associated guard rooms, it was built between 271 and 275 AD, at the same time as the Wall itself. It was not rebuilt or fortified in the ti ...

'' in the Aurelian walls (

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

). It was somehow connected with the ''

Via Latina The Via Latina (Latin for "Latin Road") was a Roman road of Italy, running southeast from Rome for about 200 kilometers. Route It led from the Porta Latina in the Aurelian walls of Rome to the pass of Mount Algidus; it was important in the ear ...

'', as it is reported that

Belisarius Belisarius (; el, Βελισάριος; The exact date of his birth is unknown. – 565) was a military commander of the Byzantine Empire under the emperor Justinian I. He was instrumental in the reconquest of much of the Mediterranean terr ...

, during its advance on Rome, left the ''Via Latina'' to enter the city from ''Porta Asinaria''; the latter was considered one of the main accesses for those coming from the south, as in ancient times the 17th-century Porta San Giovanni didn't exist. ''Via Asinaria'' is mentioned by Rufus Festus, who, in one passage, places it between ''

Via Ardeatina The Via Ardeatina (Ardeatine Way) was an ancient road of Rome leading to the town of Ardea, after which it is named. Ardea lay 24 miles (39 kilometers) distant from Rome.L. Quilici and S. Quilici Gigli, R. Talbert, Sean Gillies, Tom Elliott, and ...

'' and ''Via Latina''. The historian therefore suggests that its route, starting from ''Porta Asinaria'' to the east of ''Via Latina'', had to cross the latter, since ''Via Ardeatina'' is west of ''Via Latina'', on the other side of the urban gate.
The actual route is still debated among historians, but probably the initial stretch on the outskirts of Rome coincides with that of the present

Via Appia Nuova The Appian Way (Latin and Italian: ''Via Appia'') is one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy. Its importance is indicated by its common name, ...

Antonio Nibby Antonio Nibby (October 4, 1792 at Rome – December 29, 1839 at Rome) was an Italian archaeologist and topographer. Nibby was a critic of the history of ancient art and from 1812 in service to the Vatican worked to excavate the monuments of ...

(op. cit. P. 587) believes that it started from ''

Porta Caelimontana The Porta Caelimontana or Celimontana was a gate in the Servian Wall on the rise of the Caelian Hill (''Caelius Mons''). Use The Via Caelimontana ran from it; in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Roman tombs were discovered along its sout ...

'' in the

Servian Wall The Servian Wall ( la, Murus Servii Tullii; it, Mura Serviane) was an ancient Roman defensive barrier constructed around the city of Rome in the early 4th century BC. The wall was built of volcanic tuff and was up to in height in places, wide ...

Giuseppe Lugli Giuseppe Lugli (born in Rome, Italy, in 1890; died in Rome, Italy, on December 5, 1967) was Professor of ancient Roman topography at the University of Rome from 1933 to 1961. Lugli's academic career began with the completion of his undergraduat ...

reaffirmed its route through ''Porta Caelimontana'' and ''Porta Asinaria'' and considered it a service road, intended to transversely connect the groups of '' villae'' "between

Via Appia The Appian Way (Latin and Italian: ''Via Appia'') is one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy. Its importance is indicated by its common name, ...

, Via Castrimeniese and perhaps also Via Latina, until it reconnected with the latter in the estate called Roma Vecchia".See the entry ''Asinaria, via'' of th
Italiana
/ref>

Notes

Bibliography

in Platner & Ashby, ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome''. *

,
Analisi storico-topografico-antiquaria della carta de'dintorni di Roma tomo III
', Rome 1837

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Asinaria Roman roads in Italy Ancient Roman roads in Rome