Aquileia

Aquileia is a town and comune in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy. It lies close to the Adriatic Sea at the head of the Isonzo river delta, near the modern area of Cervignano del Friuli. The position has long made it a strategic gateway between the Italian peninsula and northern Europe.

Founded as a Roman city in the 2nd century BCE, Aquileia developed into one of the empire’s largest and most prosperous ports, serving as a major commercial hub and gateway between Italy, the Alps, and the Danube region. It was connected by important roads such as the Via Annia and Via Postumia, linking inland networks with the empire’s coastal and inland trade routes.

In late antiquity Aquileia became an important center of early Christianity and the seat of a patriarchate. The Basilica of Aquileia and its mosaics are among the city’s most notable religious monuments, reflecting its enduring ecclesiastical significance through late antiquity and the medieval period.

The Archaeological Area of Aquileia was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 for its extensive remains of the ancient Roman city and early Christian monuments, illustrating the cultural exchanges that linked northern Italy with the wider Roman world. The site preserves a substantial suite of ruins, including the forum, baths, and other public buildings, as well as the medieval and religious complexes that followed.

Today, Aquileia is a destination for archaeological research and cultural tourism. Visitors can explore the ruins, the basilica complex, and the surrounding landscape that preserves the memory of its Roman and early Christian past.