Chasing the Cardo Maximus: How Rome’s Roads Reshaped My Travels

I’ve become slightly obsessed with finding the Cardo Maximus whenever we visit a new city. The Cardo Maximus was the first north–south road the Romans would build in a new city. This would later be intersected by the Decumanus, which ran east–west.

But let’s start at the beginning. In 2024, while visiting Paris, I decided to take a walk around the area near our hotel. It’s in my nature to explore new places and see what might be around the next corner.

From the hotel, I wandered through random streets until I came upon the Panthéon. Being my first time in Europe, I didn’t know what the building was, so I sent a photo to my partner — she told me it was the Panthéon. Unfortunately, it was closed for the day, but I still walked around it and admired its architecture. I later learned that it was built in the late 1700s at the request of King Louis XV as a church, but after the French Revolution it became a place to honor notable French citizens.

But I digress. As I walked back to the hotel, I paused at a very long street with a beautiful view. The road stretched out as far as the eye could see. That street was Rue Saint-Jacques, and I was standing at its intersection with Rue Soufflot.

The names meant nothing to me at the time, but a few months later, while reviewing my trip photos, I saw that image again and became curious. What was Rue Saint-Jacques, and why was it so long? That’s when I discovered a new term: Cardo Maximus.

The Rue Saint-Jacques was built on top of the first major north–south street laid out by the Romans when the town was known as Lutetia — the ancient predecessor of Paris. And the intersection where I stood, Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue Soufflot, is the highest point along that historic axis.

Then it occurred to me: the Romans were almost everywhere in Europe… so there must be more Cardo Maximus streets? (Yes — there are many!)

Planning a Mediterranean Roman Road Hunt

Fast-forward to 2025. We had booked a Mediterranean cruise: 11 days, 6 countries — Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Greece, and Croatia. Off to the internet I went to begin my research.

Barcelona has a Cardo Maximus. Florence does too. So does Split, Croatia. And while these are only some of the cities we visited, there are many more cities across Europe with visible traces of Roman city planning.

Cardo Maximus in Barcelona

We spent a couple of days in Barcelona before embarking on our cruise, which gave us time to find the Cardo Maximus of Barcelona. Located in the Gothic Quarter, one of the oldest parts of Barcelona, that includes the ancient Roman walls and the Praetorian Gates. We took the Hop-on hop-off bus around the city and got off near the Plaza de Pau Vila. My research showed it would be about a 10 minute walk to the Plaça de Sant Jaume.

The Plaça de Sant Jaume is near the location of the ancient Roman Forum, where the Cardo and Decumanus connect.  But not being in a hurry, we stopped often to explore other sights along the way. There was also a protest happening that eventually made its way to the Plaça de Sant Jaume (as you can see in the photo below). We finally found the Carrer de la Llibreteria (Cardo Maximus) and followed it to the square. There were a lot of people out that day, and I wondered how many knew they were walking along an ancient Roman road.

Cardo Maximus in Firenze (Florence)

To be honest, I didn’t know there was a Cardo Maximus in Florence. But later, while researching for this article, I discovered that one exists — and it intersects with the Decumanus Maximus at Colonna dell’Abbondanza located in the Piazza della Repubblica. And once again, just like in Paris, we happened to cross it on our city walking tour to the Gold Market and the Basilica di Santa Croce without realizing it.

How do I know we crossed the road? Because I recorded a walking workout on my watch from our bus stop to the Basilica di Santa Croce — and on the return trip — and both times we crossed Via Calimala, the Cardo Maximus of Florence. On our next visit to Florence, we’ll need to make sure we go to the Piazza della Repubblica.

Cardo Maximus in Split

Our personal exploration day meant no booked excursion. I was in charge of planning the day’s adventure, and I wanted to impress my partner, so I did plenty of research on the Cardo Maximus of Split. After all, it’s in a palace—how could I go wrong?

Diocletian’s Palace is about a 10-minute walk from the cruise dock. Built by the Roman Emperor Diocletian in the latter part of the third century, the palace is a stunning example of Roman architecture. We entered through the South (Bronze) Gate near the cellar area. Following the road, we walked through the cellars and up into the Peristyle, where the Cardo and Decumanus Maximus meet. From there, we continued along the Cardo, exiting through the North (Golden) Gate and out of the palace.

So far, this Cardo is my favorite. The palace is truly incredible and even features an ancient Temple of Jupiter and an Egyptian Sphinx.

Join me on this Ancient Road Adventure

As we continue exploring, I’ll keep trying to find the Cardo and Decumanus Maximus in wherever city we are visiting — and sharing how the Romans paved the way for Europe.

Check out the photos below — and if you’ve seen traces of ancient Roman streets in your travels, I’d love to hear about the Cardo Maximus or Decumanus Maximus you discovered!