Filling station ruins
Once beyond the Porta Flaminia,
there is little of architectural note before the Tiber,
but on every street corner the Via Flaminia’s
name is prominently displayed, even though this area
of Rome has some seedy parts and a frequent sense of
abandonment.
Rignano statues
Rignano feels like a long way from anywhere but is,
in fact, little more than a half-hour’s drive
from Rome. Here the Flaminia passes the doorstep of
a mason’s yard that now stands silent but still
displays weathered mythical and biblical figures, bird
baths, mock columns and garden ornaments.
Subassio track
Italy has a huge network of
white roads that criss-cross the landscape, some traversing
large distances. Here the gravel track seems to extend
indefinitely, only bounded by the Umbrian fog as it
winds its way from the Via Flaminia, which circles Monte
Subasio before dropping down into Assisi.
Fano beach
Fanum Fortunae or Fano, as it is now known, was the
veritable end of the road and marked the spot where
the main route of the Via Flaminia met the Adriatic
coast. Once the site of the Roman Temple of Fortune,
the Arco di Augusto is now the only substantial monument
left to recall the Roman origins of the place that Augustus
established as a colony here around 10 BC. Robert Browning
stayed here but these days the visitors tend to be package
tourists attracted by the expansive beaches. The temporary
nature of the beach rchitecture contrasts with the massive
stones one passes along the way from Rome.
