Overview
Ancient archaeology here goes hand in hand with the evolution of Christian civilization in Friuli, from the Middle Ages up to yesterday—indeed, almost up to today. It seems like an impossible synthesis, yet the evidence is undeniable.
A military colony founded by the Romans in 181 BC, Aquileia became, under Augustus, the capital of Regio Venetia et Histria, effectively taking on the role of one of the main metropolis of the empire. With the advent of Christianity, it began to play a key role in evangelization, as the seat of a Patriarchate that for centuries served as the true guiding force of the Friuli region-nation.
Representing the Christian side is above all the Patriarchal Basilica, which features exemplary Romanesque architecture, albeit with Gothic components, and preserves precious mosaics from the early centuries. For antiquity, on the other hand, the references are the National Archaeological Museum, which offers an initial and fundamental introduction to the history of the Roman city, and then the extensive archaeological area with the forum, the river port, several domus, and the burial ground.
The importance of the ancient city, the size of the archaeological area, which is largely still buried and therefore intact, and the role of the Basilica in the spread of Christianity in Europe are at the basis of the motivations that led to the site ‘Archaeological Area of Aquileia and Patriarchal Basilica’ being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988.
33051 Aquileia, Province of Udine, Italy
