Aquileia

In Udine county, about 40 minutes by car from Trieste, Aquileia is a quite, clean city of 3.470 inhabitants, with a history that begins since its foundation as a Roman colony in 181 b.C.. It became a municipality in 89 b.C. and went on acquiring major greatness and importance, to become finally the capital of the Augustan Region X, very important knot for the empire relations with the Northern and Eastern countries. Various excavations have allowed for the existence of a notable archaeological patrimony to be established; however, today much is still largely to be investigated. Significant remains are only visible in some zones, but they are not connected to each other by a visitors' route; the most important areas are the Forum, the River Port, and the Burial Ground. In the Roman Era, the city had a remarkable artistic and commercial life, as it is evidenced in the abundant findings housed in its beautiful Museum, and it remained among the major Italian cities, even resisting the first barbaric invasions, until 402 when Attila destroyed it and symbolically spread salt on its remains. Afterwards, the Patriarchy of Aquileia continued to exist as a political-religious entity administering a very wide territory, with modern-day Friuli at the centre of the area, until 1751, when the ecclesiastical Patriarchy was abolished. During this era, the city had a number of churches, which in the following years were in large part abolished and destroyed. Among the few remaining is, luckily, the Basilica. The city also boasts a very important National Archaeological Museum with ancient Roman remains. The Basilica Built in 313, heavily modified between 1021 and 1031, was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1348 and afterwards restored with Gothic-style workings, then during the Venetian domination, with Renaissance-style interventions. The mighty complex that you visit today presents a Latin-cross layout which extends to the ruins of the Baptistry: the interior has three naves, divided by a re-utilized colonnade, which reaches the transept where three richly frescoed apses open. Adjoining there is the bell tower stands, originally built as watch tower, probably made with reused materials from the Roman theatre, and, connected to the main entrance of the basilica, the octagon Baptistry with the immersion tub inside. The 4th century mosaics of the flooring of the central nave are extremely important and interesting. The mosaic decoration also extends out of the today church, to the left of the entrance, in part hidden and probably destroyed when building the bell tower; however, large part is in very good condition. A truly exemplary museum arrangement was created that allows you to fully enjoy it. The beauty of the work and elaborate symbology, which is at the base of the images derives not only by Christian religion but also from esoteric and Mithraic traditions; they are worth an in-depth visit. Below it there is an entirely frescoed crypt. The National Archaeological Museum Inaugurated in 1882 but having undergone a very recent re-arrangement, it is located in the Austrian Villa Cassia Faraone, in the middle of a beautiful garden, rich in century-old plants: the garden is surrounded by a colonnade, which hosts a rich lapidary. The Archaeological Museum is considered one of the most important in northern Italy and is situated on three levels: on the ground floor you'll find the sculptures, the sepulchral portrayals of crafts, bas-reliefs of sacred and ritual subjects; on the first floor there are gems, terracotta, bronze, glasses, coins; on the third floor the findings in amber. You'll be impressed by the beauty and originality of the glasses, sculptures, amber, and crystal ornaments. In the lapidary outdoors, there are also many funeral monuments.