Under the Romans Aquileia was a flourishing river port and market town. It was used as a base of operations by Augustus during his conquest of the Germanic tribes.
The remains of the port from 2,000 years ago were still clearly visible and well-preserved in a beautiful park adjacent to the basilica.
It was truly a moving experience to see the outlines of what had been a vibrant town of over 100,000 people (today 3,000 residents).
In the early Christian period of the 500s Aquileia became one of Italy's most important patriarchates ruled by bishops. In the 11th century a Romanesque basilica was built on the foundations of a 4th century church.
An interesting footnote to history: when Richard the Lionhearted decided he'd better hurry back to England (his younger brother John was trying to take over) from Palestine during the Third Crusade, he tried to slip back into Europe at Aquileia. He was betrayed, however, and consequently became a prisoner of the Holy Roman Emperor for a period of time before returning to England (à la Robin Hood).
The mosaics forming the floor (and only rediscovered in 1909!) are among the largest and richest in western Europe and are breathtakingly intricate and beautiful. We were truly amazed to come upon such extensive and well-preserved mosaics.
The adjoining crypt houses archaeological remains from the Roman era (paved roads, a house and a well), the foundations of a bell tower destroyed by Attila the Hun in 452, and the foundation of the first church begun shortly after the Edict of Milan in 313--under Constantine this granted freedom of religion in the empire.
 |
| Floor of a Roman house |
While most guide books don't say much about tiny Aquileia, we can't recommend it highly enough as it is a gem--a small and lovely town with truly stunning historical sites.
From Aquileia we continued south to the Adriatic coast. Grado is a barrier island much like Venice. In Roman times the city was first port for ships headed upstream to Aquileia. During the late years of the Western Roman Empire many people fled from Aquileia across the lagoon to Grado in order to find a safer place, more protected from the barbarian invasions coming from the east.
Today Grado is a lovely, upscale resort town, with a charming old center filled with wonderful restaurants and small shops.
And so, we decided it would be the perfect place to stop for a leisurely seafood lunch, followed by a stroll along the sea wall.
We located a small piazza which three cute ristoranti, and so after carefully studying the menus of each, we selected the Savial for our feast of pasta with mussels, fresh sardines, an insalata mista and, of course, a glass of local Friuli wine--a wonderful way to end a fascinating day.
No comments:
Post a Comment