The Glory of Aquileia
Summary
At the head of the Adriatic, where the rivers of the Alps fan out across a wide plain and drain into lagoon and sea, lies one of the most richly layered landscapes in all of Italy. Here, in the space of a few dozen miles, the ambitions of Rome, the fervour of the earliest Christians, the fierce creativity of the Lombards and the civic pride of the Venetian republic have all left their mark and here, in large measure, they have been left undisturbed. This is a region that rewards curiosity with extraordinary generosity, and one that most travellers have yet to discover. From our base in the lagoon town of Grado, join us as we explore Aquileia, once one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire and make daily forays into the Fruili-Venezia Giulia region beyond.
What to Expect
- Discover the Tempietto Longobardo with its rare, expressive 8th-century frescoes
- Admire the great mosaic floor of Aquileia Basilica which extends across 750m in an extraordinary blaze of imagery
- Walk the ancient quayside of the porto fluviale, where Baltic amber and Eastern silks once changed hands
- View the Tiepolo in Udine, a reminder of the long artistic flowering that this exceptional region helped to inspire
