Concordia Sagittaria

The most glorious period in the history of Concordia Sagittaria ended in the mid-5th century, when the Huns devastated Iulia Concordia, a busy and prosperous Roman centre, which was founded probably in 42 BC and grew thanks to trade. The ancestor of today's city, Iulia Concordia stood at the intersection of the Via Postumia and the Via Annia and was an important river port on the course of the Lemene. Already in the 3rd century, Concordia had become an episcopal see: it would remain so, despite the barbarians and without ever completely surrendering to decline, until 1585. Roman archaeological remains, Byzantine elements, Romanesque art, Renaissance elegance and more recent adjustments overlap in the area of the cathedral of Santo Stefano, which was established in the 7th–8th centuries, rebuilt in 1466 and enlarged at the beginning of the 20th century (the Venetian-style façade is a faithful reconstruction of the 15th-century one).

The massive bell tower was built in 1150, while the Byzantine baptistery dates back to 1089: inside, it is adorned with frescoes from the same period. Nearby are two Roman sepulchral enclosures and the remains of two early Christian buildings from the fourth century, the Trychora Martyrum and the Basilica Apostolorum, built on an even older house. It is not difficult to understand why Concordia Sagittaria soon established itself as one of the main stops on the Romea Strata, the network of roads that pilgrims from the Baltic and Eastern Europe travelled to reach Rome. In the quiet and peaceful atmosphere around the cathedral and in its archaeological area, you almost forget that the Adriatic is just 20 kilometres away, with the long sandy beaches in Caorle, Bibione, Jesolo and Eraclea Mare: perfect for a few hours of relaxation, after visiting this town that sums up two thousand years of history in a nutshell.