The Second Rome
The current size of Aquileia-a small, sleepy town in a barren landscape just a 15-minute drive from Grado-is inversely proportional to its historical significance. And that significance is immense.
Interior view of the basilica, featuring nearly 450 square meters of mosaics.
The Roman sphere of influence is sometimes evident even in the landscape.
By the cypress trees. The ancient Romans didn't do this because they were particularly fond of cypress trees or because some landscape architect bestowed cypresses upon the Empire.
Rather, the Romans lined all roads with cypress trees so that the troops could march in the shade.
And so, as you enter the town of Aquileia, it is immediately clear-even before you pass the ancient ruins-who was once in charge here.
Basilica of Aquileia
Passing the ruins of the Roman Forum, you eventually reach the impressive Basilicaof Santa Maria Assunta via a cypress-lined street.
In front of it stands a column topped by the Lupa (the nursing she-wolf with Romulus and Remus).
Next to the Basilica, a 70-meter-high bell tower soars into the sky, modeled after the Lighthouse of Alexandria. It is open to visitors.
Incidentally, no less impressive than the Basilica itself (UNESCO World Heritage Site) are the mosaics on display here, which tell the story of its history-and above all, the Baptistery with its magical aura.
In 181 BC, the site was founded as a Roman military colony on the Natisone River, declared the capital of the Xth Region of Venetia et Histria under Emperor Augustus, and finally abandoned around 699 with the invasion of the Lombards.
The reason lies in its geographical location and the fact that Aquileia was the first major city in northern Italy and lay at the end of the Amber Road as well as on the route to the province of Noricum (today more commonly known as "Austria").
The Romans...
The Natisone River-of which only a meager trickle remains today-connected Aquileia to the sea, making it one of the most important trading centers and a key military base. Today, visitors can still see the remains of the Roman port facilities and shipyards-not to mention the striking ruins of a Roman temple nearby.
Roma regina
Not least the column with the nursing she-wolf in the square in front of the basilica makes it clear who was master of the house here.
Aquileia experienced another high point in the early Middle Ages through Christianity. From 572 onward, its bishop was also the patriarch and thus the highest-ranking dignitary after the Pope. Nevertheless, the city gradually lost its political and religious significance due to its marshy and exposed location and the rise of Venice.
Take your time exploring the open-air ruins of the Roman city, the river port, the Forum, and the Via Sacra.
Dating back to the patriarchal era is the medieval basilica, which houses Italy's most significant early Christian floor mosaic from the early 4th century-unique in its size and splendor. You can also view many remarkable art treasures at the National Archaeological Museum and the Early Christian Museum.
And if you settle into a bar for a glass of wine, you might notice that some locals have steel-blue eyes and fiery red hair-a genetic trait dating back to the Lombard era.
