Basilica of Aquileia

In the year 181 BC, the Roman Senate wanted a strategic base for shipments to maintain control on all Alps. Hence Aquileia was established and than being a military base, it flourished through iron and gold mines of Norico.

At the age of Augusto, the city became an important centre for trade and thus the city rose to a fertile plan. The commerce developed with the spread of handicraft activities, workshops, art and sculpture. The agriculture also contributed to the growth of the economy. The grains, cereals and grapes were the main products.

With the presence of the Republic of Venice in Friuli (1420), the temporal power of the Patriarchy stopped, and Aquileia started losing its importance and was reduced to a village; from 1509 until 1918it was under the Austrian dominion. Now Aquileia is just a agriculture centre.

Aquileia had been one of the most important places for Christianity in the Western world since the 3rd century. The downfall of Roman Empire pushed Friuli into the domination of Longoboards and they created the first Italian duchy, which converted the population to Christians in 670.

After Longoboards came Francs in 794, Friuli lived through suffering as many as 9 incursions by the Hungars during the 9th century, until the Ottone dynasty from Germany established their dominion in the region in 952.

The First World War left many signs on this land, of ferocious clashes as happened during the Second World War. In the immediate post-war period, Friuli was characterised by a predominantly agricultural economy and a high rate of emigration (the Friulian communities around the world are many and all proud of their origins) and then it experienced great developments especially in the field of crafts and small and medium enterprises.

On 6th May 1976 a disastrous earthquake shook the territory of the Province of Udine; thousands of people died and there was great destruction (as had happened during the earthquake on 26th March 1511). But the strong determination of the people of Friuli helped recover and gain the strength for further social and cultural development.

The physical remains now seen in Aquileia stand a strong evidence of Judaic and Jewish existence. The glassmaking industry that flourished in the region was uniquely a Judaic art at the time. The textile and the dyeing industry speak about the Jewish existence.

The fluvial port, the hole, the circus, the amphitheater, the sepolcreto on the way Annia, the fortifications, rests of private rooms, botteghe, buildings publics are some of the interesting places of archaeological interest.

Excavations exposed the National Archaeological Museum, rich with sculptures, mosaics, oreficerie, glasses, gems, tools of daily life that constitute the most organic and rich relative documentation to the social, economic and religious life of a roman center of Italy of the North.