The Via Valeria was an ancient Roman road of Italy, the continuation north-eastwards of the Via Tiburtina. It probably owed its origin to Marcus Valerius Messalla, censor in 154 BC. It ran first up the Anio valley past Varia, and then, abandoning it at the 36th mile, where the Via Sublacensis diverged, ascended to Carsoli, and then again to the lofty pass of Monte Bove, whence it descended again to the valley in Roman times occupied by the Lake Fucino. It is doubtful whether Via Valeria ran farther than the eastern point of the territory of the Marsi at Cerfennia, to the northeast of Lake Fucino, before the time of Claudius. Strabo states that in his day it went as far as Corfinium, and this important place must have been in some way accessible from Rome, but probably, beyond Cerfennia, on