This neighbourhood is located very close to the city centre in a busy commercial area and a real favourite among the locals for shopping. At the heart of the district is the main square the Piazza Re di Roma, which is also the point of convergence for its most important avenues. The Square is very well connected to the rest of the city with public transport; there is a metro stop (line A); and it has a great offer of banks, supermarkets, restaurants and cafeterias. In the centre of the square there is a small park. The neighbourhood grew up along and around the Via Appia in the 1930s and over the years has become an important commercial district that reached its peak particularly after the arrival of the metro.  The Via Appia Nuova crosses the square, and a walk along the avenue heads towards the centre up to the Piazzale Appio, passing under the Porta S. Giovanni and leading directly to the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano (Basilica of St John Lateran), the first of the four papal basilicas. This particular Basilica is the official ecclesiastical seat for the Pope and therefore the whole complex benefits from the privileges of extraterritorial status recognized by the Holy See. The oldest structure of the Basilica dates back to the IV century. Nowadays it is an incredibly popular tourist attraction receiving a large number of visitors and pious followers every day. The square is also famous for the great concert that is held on the first of May every year and organized by the Town Hall to celebrate "Labour Day". In the surrounding area there is also a small typical clothes market (first and second hand items) offering visitors the chance to get a real taste of Roman life. The district is also home to numerous churches such as the Iglesia di Ognissanti, the Iglesia de S. Antonio da Padova and the Santa Croce in Gerusalemme one of the seven roman churches that according to Christian tradition pilgrims had to visit on the same day. Moreover it houses some of the most important religious relics including the actual cross where Jesus met his death, as well as  part of the crown of thorns. The area is well connected to the rest of the city with a number of bus lines as well as the Line A metro with two stops: Re di Roma and Furio Camillo. It is also the location of the Tuscolana station which provides a train service to Fiumicino Airport. Appia Nuova is a very complete neighbourhood with the possibility to visit historical sites, go shopping and enjoy some of the Italian capital’s authentic nightlife.