AQUILEIA private tour: the impressive ruins of the Roman Empire

The guided tour of Aquileia will introduce you to the historical and artistic beauty of a town in Friuli Venezia Giulia with ancient origins which, founded as a Roman colony in 181 BC, soon became one of the residences of the Emperor, making it one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire and giving it the nickname of second Rome.

Let’s start from the Roman forum, the political and administrative center of Imperial Aquileia, the most important place in the town of which today you can admire a part of the colonnade and arcades, which once faced numerous shops, the floors of the civil basilica. and the square.

We then walk the road from the Roman forum to the river port until we reach the Basilica, called Via Sacra, in the shadow of the cypresses that crosses a vast archaeological area to be discovered. We will visit the ancient river port that stood on the Natissa River, one of the best preserved examples of a port structure from the Roman world. The river port is a jewel of Roman engineering. The tour continues arriving at the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, famous for its extraordinary and precious mosaics that cover the entire 760 square meter floor, the largest early Christian mosaic in the Western world.

Walking on the transparent walkways you will admire the beauty of the tiny multicolored tiles depicting portraits, animals, nature and religious scenes up to the altar which houses a fresco under the apse. The tour continues in the Crypt of the Frescoes, built to house the relics of some martyrs and on whose walls you can admire the beautiful frescoes on the life and legend of the evangelist Mark. Next to the Basilica we will see the bell tower, more than 70 meters high and visible throughout the town, and the octagonal-shaped Baptistery with a hexagonal basin.

The guided tour ends by walking through a small area that runs alongside the Basilica, rich in history as it houses the tombs of ten unknown soldiers. In fact, in 1921 in the Basilica of Aquileia the body of the Unknown Soldier was symbolically chosen by the mother of one of the soldiers who died in the war, among the 11 coffins of unnamed soldiers, then transported to Rome and placed in the tomb of the monumental complex of the Vittoriano (Altare della Patria ), while the other 10 bodies of the soldiers were buried in the cemetery adjacent to the Basilica.

Included:

• Walking tour with licensed tour guide

Not included:

• Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta + Crypt of the Frescoes tickets
• Whispers (to rent and pay in the ticket office)
• Food and drinks
• Transfer service (on request)

What to bring:

• Comfortable shoes
• Water
• Sun hat on hot days

Meeting point:

• Outside the Cathedral