Terracina alta, trovateci gusto

One of the outstanding results of the great works undertaken for the drainage of the Pontina Plain, wanted by the Pope Pio VI Braschi, was the reinstatement of the ancient Appian Way. For the stretch between Ponte Setino (located between Ponte Maggiore and Pontalto, not existing anymore) and Terracina (about 6 km), the Pope Pio VI, differently from the ancient outline, that bent towards Monte Leano to go trough the Valley and enter the town, wanted to go on with the straight stretch and the parallel canal, like the Appian Way and the Pio Line. The new way reached the historic town passing from its feet and then went east, bending in the last stretch (now Via Marconi), in the direction of Porta Napoletana. The parallel canal, at the dock of the “Squero”( in front of the Braschi Palace), has been deflected towards the harbour. These main routes, the Pio Way (now the New Appian Way and Via Roma) and the canal (now the Pio Line in the urban stretch), were the bearing axes of the new district “Marina”, bounding and including the “Città Nuova”, the neoclassical Borgo Pio.