Aquileia, wealthy city of the ancient Roman Empire

Aquileia is an ancient Friulian village, located on the road that connects the lagoon town of Grado to Cervignano del Friuli. It is one of the most important historic villages in the region and its artistic and archaeological value is among the most important in Italy, so much so that in 1998 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Capitoline Wolf, Aquileia

Founded by the Romans as a colony in 181 BC, it was the capital of the 10th Augustan region and metropolis of the Christian church. Together with Ravenna and Brescia it is the most important archaeological site in northern Italy, and with Cividale del Friuli and Udine it was one of the historic capitals of Friuli.

Aquileia, bell tower

The most important landmark in Aquileia is the majestic and solemn Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta also called di Poppone since the church was rebuilt between 1021 and 1031 under the patriarch Poppone, a period in which the 73 meters high bell tower was also erected. 

Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, Aquileia

The 11th century architectural structure has since then remained almost unchanged: the interior space is a Latin cross, divided in three naves. The floor is decorated by splendid mosaics that, thanks to their size and their perfect state of conservation, are of incredible iconographic importance.

A precious inlaid wooden ceiling, made in the 1500s by Venetian artisans, contrasts with the magnificence of the mosaics. Under the presbytery there is the Crypt of the Frescoes, entirely decorated with frescoes from the Byzantine period with stories from the life of Jesus and Mary and of S. Ermacora and S. Marco.

Mosaics Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, Aquileia

Mosaics Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, Aquileia

To the left of the main entrance is the the Crypt of the Excavations, in which the ruins of the ancient early Christian basilica are present. The Crypt is a veritable treasure trove of history: the remains and the mosaics that decorate it date back to four different periods: from the floor of the Aula Teodoriane, to a series of Roman warehouses of the 3rd century, up to the mosaics that represent fantastic animals rich in symbolic meanings and perfectly preserved.

Very close to the basilica lies the archaeological area of ​​ancient Aquileia, where the remains of the Roman era make up a truly evocative landscape of rich historical heritage. The most representative monument is the Roman Forum, the original square of Roman Aquileia. Dating back to the 1st century BC. it has undergone extensions and restorations during the Republican and the Imperial eras. It was 115 m long and 57 wide and covered an area of ​​over 6500 square meters. Its discovery was made by Giovanni Brusin in 1934.

Roman Forum, Aquileia

Not far from it, is the Roman burial ground; a necropolis used from the 1st to the 4th century, with five enclosures that belonged to many families, with altars, sarcophagi, inscriptions and statues. Many of the remains that can be seen here are copies: the originals can be visited at the Archaeological Museum of Aquileia.

Inaugurated in 1882, the museum is a precious testimony of the Roman face of Aquileia, which was the third most important city of the Empire. It is one of the largest museums in the world on the imperial age and its three floors display sculptures, gems, coins and mosaics that faithfully reconstruct the daily life of the population.

TIPS AND INFO:

1. Aquileia can be visited in a one day trip from Trieste and associated with a visit to the medieval centre of Grado. 

2. A good map of the town indicating the major historical sites can be found here.

3. The Alpe Adria trail passes through Aquileia to finish in Grado.