AQUILEIA

Aquileia is a precious little treasure chest of art and history located near Udine in Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Since 1998 it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its archaeological area and floor mosaics.

Founded by the Romans in 181 BC as a strategic military and commercial outpost for expansion into the Adriatic, the Alps and Istria, it became one of the empire’s major cities under Diocletian, equipped with a mint and fleet.

The city is a unique example of a Roman center of the Mediterranean, with much of it still intact and buried. Excavated areas show remains of the forum, river port, and domuses. Unearthed mosaics are preserved in local museums.

The Patriarchal Basilica testifies to Aquileia’s crucial role in the spread of Christianity in the early Middle Ages. Built on top of a 4th-century complex, it preserves one of the largest mosaic floors in Europe and the baptistery from which the evangelization of the Balkans and Hungary began, making Aquileia an important bishopric. The archaeological site of the Domus and the Episcopal Palace offers a rare view of the overlapping of floors from different periods.