Starting from a reflection on the Appia Antica as a palimpsest of great beauty, the contribution aims at highlighting the unique experimental design tradition based on the understanding and enhancement of the antique, shaped over time along its path. In the wake of this tradition, based on the direct exploration of places, the formative activities promoted by the Accademia Adrianea di Architettura e Archeologia look at the regina viarum as an extraordinary laboratory in which students and scholars can investigate through design the widespread dimension of contemporary museography.