AQUILEIA

Only a few kilometres away from Grado is the ancient city of Aquileia, which was one of the most important crossroads of the Roman Empire. Founded in 181 bC, Aquileia was testimony of the passage of Caesar's Roman legions, the raids of Attila's Huns and the seat of the homonymous Patriarch for centuries. The archaeological diggings have brought to light the fluvial port, the markets where spices, perfumes and fabrics from the East were traded, the Forum, the Via Sacra and the city walls. Moreover, the mosaics of the National Archaeological Museum and the Early Christian Museum are of considerable historical importance.