Via Trionfale is a

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

that leads to and within

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, Italy. Formerly called Via Triumphalis, it was an ancient consular road that connected Rome to

Veii Veii (also Veius; ) was an important ancient Etruscan city situated on the southern limits of Etruria and north-northwest of Rome, Italy. It now lies in Isola Farnese, in the comune of Rome. Many other sites associated with and in the city-st ...

. The northern terminus of the road connects with the

Via Cassia The Via Cassia () was an important Roman road striking out of the Via Flaminia near the Milvian Bridge in the immediate vicinity of Rome and, passing not far from Veii, traversed Etruria. The ''Via Cassia'' passed through Baccanae, Sutrium ...

History

The name given to the road most likely dates back to the victory of

Marcus Furius Camillus Marcus Furius Camillus (; possibly – ) was a Roman statesman and politician during the early Roman republic who is most famous for his capture of Veii and defence of Rome from Gallic sack after the Battle of the Allia. Modern scholars are dub ...

over the city of Veii around 396 BC, for which was granted the right to a triumph on the road that led from Veii to the

Capitoline Hill The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; ; ), between the Roman Forum, Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The hill was earlier known as ''Mons Saturnius'', dedicated to the god Saturn (mythology), Saturn. The wo ...

(Campidoglio Hill). Roman generals awarded a triumph traditionally proceeded from the

Campus Martius The Campus Martius (Latin for 'Field of Mars'; Italian: ''Campo Marzio'') was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome. The IV rione of Rome, Campo Marzio, which covers ...

to the

Capitoline The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; ; ), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The hill was earlier known as ''Mons Saturnius'', dedicated to the god Saturn. The word ''Capitolium'' first referre ...

along this road. The route was identified during the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

and described by Flavio Biondo in ''Roma Triumphans'' book X. Important ancient landmarks were the Triumphal Bridge ( Pons Neronianus) over the

Tiber The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...

, now demolished, the Triumphal Gate (Porta Triumphalis), the Arch of Arcadius, Honorius, and Theodosius, and the termination of the route at the Temple of Janus Quadrifrons. The 1828 book ''A Tour in Italy and Sicily'' noted that Via Trionfale was "only eight feet wide and completely arched over with trees" around that time period. The book also noted that the road was "paved with stones two or three feet in diameter, irregular, yet closely fitted together, and so deep set in the ground as to now be in perfect order after the lapse of so many centuries." At that time, it was also noted that some of the stones had the initials "V.N." carved into them, which stands for "via numinis".

Today

The current route is about . It is typically very busy during the day, particularly on areas of the road that only have one lane on each side. In September 2010, the doubling of the carriageway, two lanes in each direction, was completed between the northern entrance of the Agostino Gemelli polyclinic and the Forte Trionfale. On January 23, 2007, the ramps of the Via Trionfale junction were inaugurated with the Grande Raccordo Anulare (in the Ottavia area). The junction was completely opened to traffic around January 2009.

Historical landmarks

The Fontana di Piazza Pia exists on the route. The fountain was constructed in 1862 by

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

, replacing an earlier fountain by

Pope Paul V Pope Paul V (; ) (17 September 1552 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death, in January 1621. In 1611, he honored Galileo Galilei as a mem ...

from 1614. The fountain was designed by Filippo Martinucci. It has now been obscured from view due to the raising and widening of the Via Trionfale.

History

Today

Historical landmarks

References

Further reading