Military conquest by the Roman Empire was made possible by their vast network of roads. Roads, though visible on a daily basis, form an invisible network steering and moving inhabitants through the city. The roads I walk on, as well as the openings I find along those paths, have guided my wanderings in Rome. As noted, the journey to a place can often be as meaningful (or more meaningful) than the destination itself. Via Panisperna was opened by Sixtus V, linking S.M. Maggiore with Piazza della Colonna Traiana. In the 19th century, the previously disconnected Termini Station with Piazza Venezia. Via dei Fori Imperiali was constructured in the 1930s, demolishing a medieval area in its path from Piazza Venezia to the Colosseo. Roads determine where we go and what we see along those paths.
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