Surviving Roman Road Network in Europe

Timeline

1. c. -312–400Territory of the Roman Empire · Western EuropeAt its height ancient Rome built a road network totaling over 80,000 km, using layered rubble and flagstone paving with firm roadbeds and good drainage, becoming a model of ancient engineering that profoundly influenced later European road-building and transport patterns.
2. c. 500–1670Western and Southern Europe · Southern EuropeAfter the fall of the Roman Empire the surviving network was never abandoned; medieval pilgrimage routes, army marches, and trade routes largely followed its courses; from the Renaissance into the early modern period, monarchs and cities repaired and extended the old roadbeds, making the Roman road remains the backbone of European land transport.
3. 1671–1680Mainland European trunk road network · EuropeIn the 1670s, Europe's postal coach systems, army movement routes, and caravan paths still relied heavily on the Roman road remains; the main highway arteries of France, Italy, and England largely coincided with the ancient network, and the surviving paved surfaces offered a quality of travel unmatched elsewhere at the time.