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Abstract: A series of significant episodes during the first decades of the nineteenth century indicate a renewed interest in the Appia Antica on the part of the public administration. This concern would result in the restoration of the consular road carried out by the papal government between 1850 and 1853. During those same years, in an extremely rich cultural climate, a vision of the fine arts as a «public heritage» to preserve in the name of collective interests, even to the detriment of the individual, began to take hold. Following the work of excavation and restoration directed by Luigi Canina, the via Appia Antica regained its monumentality, becoming a sort of open-air museum, given back to the world for admiration. Paradoxically however, this operation of great cultural value resulted in a conflict between the preservation of an unequalled archaeological and landscape heritage, recognized as a public treasure, and its use as a public road, serving the private needs of the owners of buildings and land facing the road. The management of the via Appia Antica has always represented a considerable problem for those in charge of its care because of the conflict between public interest and private initiative, triggered by protectionist legislation regarding cultural heritage. Today’s situation, with the heavy daily motor traffic along the Appia Antica, is a clear demonstration of how dramatically timely this conflict of interests remains.