Aquileia, Italy - Roman Ruins

Aquileia is an ancient Roman city at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natisone, the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times. Aquileia was founded as a colony by the Romans in 180/181 BC along the river,south of the Julian Alps but about 8 miles north of the lagoons. Akylis, the colony served as a frontier fortress at the north-east corner of Italy and was intended to protect the Venetians, faithful Roman allies, during the Illyrian Wars and act as a butress to check the advance of other warlike people, such as the hostile tribes of Carni and Istri. In fact, Aquileia was founded on a site not far from where Gaulish invaders had attempted to settle in 183 BC. Aquileia was connected by road with Bologna probably in 173 BC; and subsequently with Genova in 148 BC by the Via Postumia, which ran through Cremona, Bedriacum and Altinum, joining the first-mentioned road at Concordia.

This city was proclaimed by the Vatican as one of the five official Jubilee cities in Italy and numerous remnants of its glorious past are found throughout the city, especially along the Via Sacra, which was the location of the Roman forum. However Aquileia's Roman golden age was not quite over as the town also flourished under the Patriarchs that ruled over Friuli Venezia Giulia in the middle ages. This prosperity all though only short lived, produced some of the most imposing monuments from their rule. The Patriarchs later moved to a much safer location at the Castle in Udine but left behind some of the most beautiful mosaic floors in Italy.