The Roman Road “ La Voie Romaine “ (2nd and 3rd centuries AD) was not just a thoroughfare, but mainly a tool for communication and exchange of cultural, religious and trade across the Roman Empire and an instrument of civil and military administration of the empire. The Via Appia d’Orient started in Byblos, snaked through the nearby mountain, crossing the Bekaa Valley leading to Damascus. The R
oman road was an extension of the road which started from Rome to south-eastern Italy, where it stopped at Brindisi on the Adriatic Sea Coast, to resume its path from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, Byblos, where its remains (traces) are still visible. The Local Active Group (GAL) Via Appia is constituted by non-governmental associations representing local socio-economic interests, as well as businesses and local partners in a partnership to develop a common strategy and innovative activities for integrated development of the region of Jbeil in domains related to the environment, food, traditional products, natural and cultural heritage ...
Three pilot Local Action Groups have been created in Byblos, Baalbek and Tyr to implement these strategies to add value to their respective regions. The Association of the Friends of Byblos contributed to launch the project of cooperation LeaderMed at Byblos. Subsequently, the Welcome Center and Tourist Information CAIT Jbeil, under the leadership of the International Festival of Byblos hosted TERCOM project activities until the establishment of the GAL Via Appia as well as projects like the Cooperazione Italiana and the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari IAM-Bari and overseen by both Raphael Sfeir, lawyer and former Mayor of Byblos – Lebanon and Dr. Maroun El Moujabber, agronomist in Italy.