The Via Casilina is a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

road in

Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil (Old Latium) on whi ...

and

Campania Campania (, also , , , ) is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islands and the i ...

. It led from

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 ...

Casilinum Casilinum was an ancient city of Campania, Italy, situated some 3 miles north-west of the ancient Capua. The position of Casilinum at the junction of the Via Appia and Via Latina, at their crossing of the river Volturnus by a still-existing three-ar ...

(present-day Capua), to present-day

Santa Maria Capua Vetere Santa Maria Capua Vetere ( nap, Santa Maria 'e Capua) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, part of the region of Campania (southern Italy). Though it is not connected with the ''Civitas Capuana'', the town is a medieval place and i ...

. It was created from the fusion of two ancient

Roman roads Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...

, the '' Via Latina'' and the '' Via Labicana''. The Via Labicana led from Rome to '' Labicum'', while the Via Latina ended at Capua. In the Middle Age, Capua was depopulated and the main settlement shifted to ''Casilinum'', formerly a mere

fluvial port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

. This is also the location of the modern town of Capua. As a consequence, the union of the ''Via Latina'' and of the ''Via Labicana'' took on the new namesake of ''Via Casilina''. This usage also survives for the modern road, while ''Via Latina'' is not used anymore.

Itinerary

Current route

The current route of the state road Via Casilina leaves the Porta Maggiore in Rome and, entering the Roman countryside, first runs through the valley of the river Sacco, crossing

Frosinone Frosinone (, local dialect: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the province of Frosinone. It is located about south-east of Rome close to the Rome-Naples A1 Motorway. The city is the main city of the Va ...

, and then the Liri valley, passing through the center of

Cassino Cassino () is a ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Southern Italy, at the southern end of the region of Lazio, the last city of the Latin Valley. Cassino is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Gari and Liri rive ...

; enters

remaining in the northern part of the province of

Caserta Caserta () is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. It is an important agricultural, commercial, and industrial ''comune'' and city. Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Camp ...

and joins with the

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, rec ...

in the municipality of

Pastorano Pastorano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about north of Naples and about northwest of Caserta. Pastorano borders the following municipalities: Camigliano, Giano Vetusto, Pignatar ...

province of Caserta The Province of Caserta ( it, Provincia di Caserta) is a province in the Campania region of southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Caserta, situated about by road north of Naples. The province has an area of , and had a total population of 9 ...

. The current route is approximately 200 kilometers long. Casilina Rome Q. VII Prenestino-Labicano Rome Q. VIII Tuscolano Rome Q. XIX Prenestino-Centocelle Rome Q. XXIII Alessandrino Rome Q. XXIV Don Bosco {{AncientRome-struct-stub