Indeed, at the times of the Empire, all roads led to Rome, especially when you think the Romans are behind the creation of the first Italian and European communication arteries in history. Don’t we all know about the Via Aurelia, the Via Salaria or the Via Appia? Aren’t we all more or less familiar with  their names and the people they were christened after, consuls, politicians and generals? Yes, I can hear you say.   

We may be however guilty of largely overlooking the interesting source of trivia and anecdotal knowledge the streets within the Eternal City hold for us. I, for one, never really stopped thinking about why they carry certain names, mostly taking for granted they, as the majority of streets and alleys in Italian cities, are memory of some famous family or historical figure.