Aquileia

In Friuli, one of the must-see places to visit is the town of Aquileia.

The city was founded by the Romans in 181BC and soon became a major port city. Although several kilometers inland, it was connected to the sea by a series of canals (the remains of which can still be seen today).

As a frontier town, it was plundered by Attila in the 5^th Century, forcing the Roman population to flee to the nearby lagoons, thus laying the foundations for the creation of the cities of Venice and Grado.

As well as the Roman ruins, Aquileia is famous for the basilica (built in the 11^th Century) and its mosaic floor (created in the 4^th Century) depicting life in later Roman times.

Did you know: the mosaics were not discovered until 1909 when the medieval clay floor was removed.

In the east part of the basilica and on a lower level are the remains of a 1^st Century house and its mosaic floor.

An overview of the floor to the church

These are the foundations to the bell tower

This is a mosaic from the 1st Century

More of the 1st Century mosaic

The First World War cemetery

Ruins of the Roman port system

Looking along the port complex towards the bell tower

Ruins of the Forum