The Via Aurelia is one of the consular roads which radiate out from Rome in all directions. rections. It goes as far as France, where it joins the VIA DOMITIA.

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STATUA (RM)  
AD TORRES 

PALO (RM)  
ALSIUM 

CERVETERI (RM)  
CAERE 

SANTA SEVERA (RM)  
PYRGI 

SANTA MARINELLA (RM) PUNICUM, CASTRUM NOVUM 

CIVITAVECCHIA (RM) CENTUMCELLAE  

TERME TAURINE (RM)  
ACQUAE TAURI 

TARQUINIA LIDO (RM) GRAVISCAE 

TARQUINIA (RM)  
TARQUNII 

MONTALTO DI CASTRO (RM) FORUM AURELII 

VULCIA (VT)  
VOLCI 

COSA (GR)  
COSA 

TALAMONE (GR)  
TELAMON 

POPULONIA (LI)  
POPULONIUM 

PISA (PI)  
PISAE 

LUCCA (LU)  
LUCA 

VIAREGGIO (LU)  
FORUM CLODII 

LUNI (MASSA-CARRARA)  
LUNA 

GENOVA (GE)  
GENUA 

SAVONA (SV)  
SAVO 

ALBISOLA (SV)  
ALBA DOCILIA 

VADO LIGURE (SV)  
VADO SABATIA 

ALBENGA (SV)  
ALBINGAUNUM 

SANREMO (IM)  

VENTIMIGLIA (IM) ALBINTIMILIUM  

The Via Aurelia was created thanks to the need to connect Rome to the military colonies founded along the Tirrenian coast in the course of the 3rd century B.C., following the subjugation of Etruria. Initially, the road went as far as Cosa, was then extended to Luni, and on to Genoa in 109 B.C. (MAP)

Explore ROME using the ancient plan of the Forma Urbis. 

OLD NOMINATION AD TORRES 

The locality that take the name of the discovery of a  portrait was occupied by a big imperial villa from that become pictures of seascape subjects, now at Giulia Villa museum. 
The bridge of Cupino with rests of the pillars of a roman bridge.

OLD NOMINATION ALSIUM 

Was one of the three old ports of Caere. 
The first coastal station of Aurelia. Near of the Odescalchi castle, under the XVII Villa La Posta, have been found the rests of a big roman villa, with plan at U, adorns sumptuously in the central nucleus of polychrome mosaics (III - IV A. C.)

OLD NOMINATION CAERE 

One of the greater town of the Marine Etruria , Caere occupied a wide area between Tarquinia and Veio. In the VII - VI a. C. Caere got a high degree of power and of wealth and was one of the town most populous of the mediterranean word. Its naval,commercial and military activity developped throught the ports of Alsium (Palo), Pyrgi ( Santa Severa) and Punicum (Santa Marinella). Had solid bonds with the ellenistic wordreceiving dealers and artists colonies. Caere kept always in Rome, but with the III century A.C. begun its decline that will continue untill the extinction in the I century D.C. The urban rests of Caere are scanty, plentiful are instead the discovery of Etruscan necropolis. 

OLD NOMINATION   PYRGI 

Pyrgi was one of the ports of Caere. There have been discovered the rests of a sanctuary with two temples (Temple A, V  a.C. - Temple B, VI  a.C.) where have been found rich architectural terracotta. 

OLD NOMINATION  PUNICUM, CASTRUM NOVUM 

Statium Punicum was one of the ports of the near Caere. Near Capo Linario was placed the Castrum Novum, roman colony and station of the Aurelia street. 
In locality Grottacce ( Aurelia st km. 58.2) there are the rests of roman villa provided of little private port and fish-pond. 

OLD NOMINATION CENTUMCELLAE 

It is a roman town rised around the big port built in the 106 D.C. by Traiano. The roman port was composed from two big moles, or dikes, and from a antemurale. 
At inside was built a big dock (still in efficiency) where are still visible considerable rests of old warehouse (horrea).  The town had a regular urbanistic plant on two orthogonal axes. 

OLD NOMINATION AQUAE TAURI   

The Taurine thermae are at little chilometers from Civitavecchia in direction Est.  There are rests of a big imperial villa and represents one of the most important roman buildings in the  region Lazio. Traiano enlarged a pre-existent republican and augustean villa adding a majestic thaermal complex and other environbments of stay. There stayed also Marco Aurelio and Commodo. 

OLD NOMINATION GRAVISCAE  

The area of the present Clementino port was the old port of Tarquinia that in the 181 a.C., became a roman colony and took the name of Graviscae. The excavations  in progress from 1969 had brought out some sectors of the inhabited of the colony and an important emporic archaic sanctuary . 
The colony was nearly completely destroyed during the gotic invasion of the 408 d.C., even thought it was preserved by bishops untill the VI century d.C.. In the Middle age, on the same point of the roman port,  rised the Corneto port, important port of call of the zone, supplanted then by Civitavecchia. 

OLD NOMINATION TARQUINII  

Old Tarquinia rised at about six kilometers from the sea on the hill of the Civita characterized by a calcareous land and scantly vegetation. Was surrounded by walls, about 8000 meters long, formed by square blocks of limestone, which construction go back at V - Vi century a.C.. In this walls opened the doors, which went  out the street that connected the town with the sea and the other towns such as Vulci, Tuscania and Norchia. 
The necropolis of Monterozzi is the marvellous cemetery of Tarquinia where more than half millenium the town put down its deads. Infact, in this necropolis there are a serious of painted tombs that render Tarquinia one of the archaelogic centre most important of the mediterranean area. 
Now about 60 tombs are visible. 

OLD NOMINATION FORUM AURELII  

Forum Aurelii, near Vulci, takes its name from the founder of the road, and was an important commercial centre for trade between the Tirrenian coast and Etruria.

OLD NOMINATION VOLCI  

The land of Vulci was very wide and included a lot of centres: Orbetello, Saturnia, Pescia, Sovana, Castro, Pitigliano and Marsiliana. The VI century a.C. was the moment of the flourishing of the area. 
In the III century a.C. Rome made war on Vulci; then the defeat of Vulci, happened in the 280 a.C., the Romans took possession of the greater part of the land where the roman colony of Cosa, the prefecture of Saturnia and Statonia, and Forum Aurelii. 
Althought the construction of Aurelia street (240 a.C.), the decay of the town begun in the III century a.C. and went on till the imperial late. 

OLD NOMINATION COSA 

Cosa was a latin colony founded in the 273 a.C. together at that of Paestum. But at difference of Paestum, Cosa rised on a hill area didn't occupied by the inhabitantes more old. 
At the beginning of the II century a.C., Cosa riceved thousands new colons and about 150 a.C. assisted at a renovate building activity that changed the public spaces in ellenistic shape. 
The economic transformation of the II century and the politic and military facts in the first part of the I century a.C. took Cosa towards a crisi and the town underwent the depopulation and the desertion. Little infact are the traces of the life in the imperial Roma period. 
In the zone can be visited also three important roman villas of the republican late age: Colonne's villa, Settefinestre's villa and Provincia's villa.

OLD NOMINATION TELAMON  

On the hill of Talamonaccio, long the coast zone, rise the rests of the town originally etrusca and after roman of Talamone. In roman age the town was remembered as place of landing of Tiberio Gracco, coming from Numanzia in the 133 a.C. and above all as place of the horrible battle between the Romans and the Galls in the 225 a.C. finished with the bloody defeat of the Celtic invaders. 
Between the rests of the roman age signal the rests of a big bridge at four arches that allowed the passage of the Aurelia street on the Osa river near its outlet and, in locality S. Francesca Romana, the remains of a villa said ""Le Terme"", rised at the beginning of imperial age and lived till the late empire.

OLD NOMINATION VETULONIA  

According to the old sources Vetulonia was one of the most powerful etruscan town. 
The necropolis contains various tombs datable between IX and VII century a.C.. 
A revival we observe at the beginning of III century a.C. (ex: the restoration of the surrounding wall), but the data of the following period and also the roman age are scanty. 

OLD NOMINATION POPULONIUM  

Only etruscan town that striked on the sea, according to sources, Populonia would be founded by Corsi or by Volterrani. Its functionand prosperity was connected with the rich mine of iron of the Elba, that vein has been exploited from the arcaic period till ellenistic-roman age. 
The town had its maxim expansion in the IV century b.C. and and went into the roman orbit in the III century b.C.. 
The decay of the town happened in imperial period. 

OLD NOMINATION PISAE  

According to the sources, Pisa is a town of old foundation and appears as the most mysterious town of the Etruria. The same etruscanity has been put in doubt (some sources said that it is ligurian). . 
The archaeologic importance of Pisa is gave by the materials used in the building of the Prato of Miracoli. 

OLD NOMINATION LUCA  

Roman colony from 177 b.C. and municipality from 89 b.C. of the Gallia Cisalpina, so augustean colony in the Regio VII, Lucca was famous centre of the Council for the renew of the first triumvirate between Cesare, Crasso and Pompeo. 
Its importance as road joint (Cassia street and Clodia street) was biggest and it is remainded in that way from the antiquity at the middle age. 

OLD NOMINATION FORUM CLODII  

Forum Clodii was an important joint that showed the point of junction between the Aurelia and the Cassia coming from Florence, crosssing Pistoia and Lucca.

OLD NOMINATION LUNA  

Luna was an important roman colony deduced in the 177 b.C. and crossed from Aurelia street (Aemilia Scauri street) from 109 b.C..   Famous above all for the marble ""lunense"". 

OLD NOMINATION GENUA  

The oppidum Genuae was, from V sec. A.C. now on, an important emporium of the Liguri (but also with the  Etruscan). 
After the destruction, during the II° punic war, was built in the 203 A.C.by Sprio Lucrezio. From 197 A.C. now on became a permanent seat of roman troops against the northern Liguri. 

OLD NOMINATION ALBA DOCILIA  

From the few data at disposition seems that the zonea was developped after the augustan settlement of the street. 
Roman  villa with an plant m 177 x 100, dating between the I and the III century D.C., with use protracted untill at IV ÷ V century. 

OLD NOMINATION SAVO  

Coastal seat of the Liguri Sabazi from IV century A.C., Savona, remembered by Linneo  as ""oppidum"" and allied of the Cartaginesi (205 A.C.), was strategically important centre untill 109 A.C. when, cut out of Aemilia Scauri street ( tract Tortona-Vado), gave at the near municipality of Vado the function of riference pole of the zone. Recovered the importance in the byzantine age. 

OLD NOMINATION VADA SABATIA  

Vada Sabatia was choosed as reference terminal coastal point of the Aemilia Scauri street (109 b.C.), but perhaps only in augustean age the centre assumed urban characteristics. The urban planimetry of Vado is unknowed. 

OLD NOMINATION ALBINGAUNUM (ALBUM INGAUNUM)  

Centre of the Ingauni of preroman origin. Albenga joined under the roman influence by 180 A.C.. Became municipality during the I century A.C.. and had the maxim flourishing between the II and III century D.C. The old structures of the urban area are unknown, but in the rest of the land between Loano and long way of Aurelia, are shed some funeral monuments (ex ""Pilone""), and the amphiteatre. The Baptistery and the Cathedral are of V century A.D..

Between Bussana an the Armea torrent - the rests of a Roman Villa San Remo mouth zone- a Roman Villa. 

SITO ANTICO ALBINTIMILIUM (ALBIUM INTEMELIUM)  

Preroman built-up area (Albium internelium=town of the Intemeli) can have made go back at IV b.C.. After the roman occupation of the whole ligurian cost (180 b.C.), next to built-up area of Albium Intermelium, settled a military camp and subsequently developped the roman town. With the open of Julia Augustea street (Aurelia street, XIII b.C.) became a big town (Strabone). Prosperous in imperial age and wealth of public buildings, the town underwent the Goti invasion at the begin of the V century, the remained byzantine till the VIII century. 

OLD NOMINATION NICAEA 

OLD NOMINATION FORUM IULII  

OLD NOMINATION TELO MARTIA  

OLD NOMINATION MASSILIA 

OLD NOMINATION ARELATE 

The Via Domizia is the oldest constructed in Gallia by the Romans, and extends for about 200 km from Rodano to the Pirenei. 

AMBRUSSUM 

FORUM DOMITII 

St. THIBERY 
CESSERO 

BEZIERS 
BAETERAE 

NARBONNE 
NARBO 

CHATEAUX -ROUSSILLON 
RUSCINO 

ELNE 
ILLIBERIS 

PORT VENDRES 
PORTUS VENERIS  

CLUSES 
CLAUSURAE  

OLD NOMINATION NEMAUSUS  

The full Roman name is Colonia Augusta Nemausensis.  
It was initially a simple military post, created at the request of the proconsul Cneus Domitius Ahenobarbus to control the road and the oppidum gallico di Mont-Cavalier. With the arrival of the roman contingents, the population of Nemauses increased rapidly.  
Thanks to the emperor Augustus, Nemauses was fortified with walls, gates and towers, becoming a colonised city par excellence, as Augustus himself reminds us in an inscription dating from 15 b.c. in the porta d'Italia/Porta d'Augusto.  
Amongst the important monuments still in existence are the amphitheatre, porta d'Augusto and Villa Carrée. 

Located about 25 km west of Nîmes, the archaeological site of Ambrussum is particularly interesting because it demonstrates the different constructional techniques of the Gauls and Romans and the elements common to the two cultures.  
At Ambrussum it is possible to admire the remains of the most famous Roman bridge in the south of France: the " Ambroix"

Forum Domitii is one of the oldest Roman settlements in Gallia after Aquae Sextiae (Aix-en-Provence) and Narbo (Narbonne). Having been built ex nono by Cneus Domitius in 117 b.c., it was without geographic references for a long time, known only through Roman historians.  
Recently, after long and painstaking research, it was located near Montbazin, in an area devoted to the cultivation of grapes. Thanks to the numerous sites which became exposed during the cultivation of the soil, we know that Forum Domitii lies beneath the vines. 

OLD NOMINATION CESSERO 

This small town on the banks of the river Hérault, is not a real Roman settlement, but an indigenous agglomeration which became **** di diritto latino **** with the passing of the Via Domitia. The ruins of a large bridge of disputed date are visible, probably a medieval reconstruction on the basis of a Roman bridge. 

OLD NOMINATION BAETERAE 

The Roman colony was founded in 36 b.c. by a contingent of legionnaires from Caesar's army, on the oppidum gallo of Bessara. Unfortunately the large ancient monuments like the triumphal arch, the forum and the theatre are no longer in existence, or have been incorporated into modern buildings.  

OLD NOMINATION NARBO  

The full Roman name is Colonia Iulia Paterna Claudia Narbo Martius.  
It was the first colonial town founded by the Romans in Gallia Transalpina, on the banks of the river Atax (Aude. Under the reign of Augustus (27 a.C. - 14 d.C.) it had a period of great prosperity, favoured by its geographic position.  

OLD NOMINATION SALSULAE 

Roman military fort, staging post between Narbo e Ruscino. 

OLD NOMINATION RUSCINO 

The most important archaeological site discovered in the last 20 years after Ambrussum. Situated in a strategic position at the end of the plateau which dominates the valley of the river Têt, from which the Pirenei are visible, Ruscino reached its greatest splendour under the rule of Augustus. 

OLD NOMINATION ILLIBERIS  

Oppidum of iberian origin, probable staging post of Hannibal in 218 b.c. mentioned in ancient texts. Unfortunately it has been completely covered by the medieval city. 

OLD NOMINATION PORTUS VENERIS 

Referred to in ancient texts, was a port located near the Greek temple of Aphrodite.  
At the mouth of the port remains of the wrecks of Roman vessels have been found. 

OLD NOMINATION CLAUSURAE 

The Roman forts of Cluses are a unique example in Europe of fortified frontier construction.