Roman Road Network

Timeline

1. c. -300–200Italian Peninsula · ItalyRome built roads for military and administrative needs, using layered roadbeds, drainage ditches, and milestones, totaling over 80,000 km, supporting legion movements and provincial circulation of goods.
2. c. 1121–1130France–Italy pilgrimage and trade routes · WorldwideIn the 1120s, crusades and pilgrimages to the Holy Land still traveled parts of the old Roman roads; local lords maintained sections to collect tolls, and caravans and messengers relied on their connectivity to cross south of the Alps.
3. c. 1800–2000Roman road remains across Europe · MediterraneanModern archaeology has systematically mapped the Roman road network; some sections are listed as protected cultural heritage, and their engineering standards influenced later highway design.