Frattocchie on the Via Appia: Ancient Traces and Historic Buildings

Frattocchie on the ancient Via Appia

Frattocchie lies along the ancient Via Appia. The state-owned section of the Via Appia runs for approximately 12 kilometres from number 195 to Frattocchie, a district of the municipality of Marino. This distance provides a tangible spatial reference when comparing cultural sightseeing opportunities and longer stretches of the ancient road as part of your travel plans. If you view the Via Appia as a longer walk, the state-owned section to Frattocchie forms the geographical framework. Frattocchie thus combines a section of the Via Appia with several archaeological remains from different periods.

Torre Secchi and the Tomb Monument

At the eleventh milestone of the Via Appia Antica, in the locality of Frattocchie, are the remains of the “Sepolcro con torre”, better known as Torre Secchi. The tomb monument beneath Torre Secchi dates from the early imperial period. The year 1855 marks a later construction phase than the early imperial period of the tomb monument. In 1855, a small tower made of brick and tuff was built on the tomb monument and used for geodetic surveying along the Via Appia Antica.

Roman Road Remains in Vicolo del Torraccio

An underground archaeological area with a branch of a Roman road is located in Vicolo del Torraccio. This branch diverged from the Via Appia Antica between the eleventh and twelfth milestones. In addition to the Roman road, three burials were discovered, indicating a decline in use and the gradual abandonment of this route between the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.

The Trappist Estate

A monumental entrance portal is located on the Tenuta dei Frati Trappisti estate along Via del Sassone. The country house Villa Sirena (Villino Colonna), built around the middle of the 17th century, stands within the estate. The estate also contains a large Roman tomb, topped by a medieval tower with a hexagonal ground plan. In the 14th century, a casale in the Marino area was referred to as “quod dic(itur) Turris Leonardi”. A votive chapel from the 19th century was commissioned in 1880 by Princess Maria Barberini. Villa Sirena and Villino Colonna are two names for the same historic country house. A Sunday Mass at 10 a.m. is listed for the Convento dei Frati Trappisti.

A Discovery from 2014

During construction work at the McDonald’s location, a 45-metre section of a Roman road was discovered in Frattocchie in 2014. This section of road was probably a branch of the Via Appia leading to a villa in the area of ancient Bovillae. At 45 metres, the section discovered in 2014 is a limited stretch compared with the approximately twelve-kilometre-long state-owned section.

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