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Basilica di Aquileia
Lower Friuli - wine itinerary - part 2
This is the continuation of this itinerary
AQUILEIA
Aquileia is the most important archaeological site in Friuli.
Under the Romans, it was one of the most prosperous cities of the
empire and was known as the “Second Rome”. Founded in 181 B.C. in a
strategic position near the Adriatic Sea,
Aquileia boasted superb public and private buildings. It was the
empire’s marketplace, at the crossroads of trade between the Roman
world and the Danubian lands. These three splendid centuries of
imperial glory and the preceding republican period have left
Aquileia with important remains that make it one of the most
exciting archaeological sites in the Italian peninsula.
Still
visible are the city’s river port, the forum, the amphitheatre, the
cemetery on the Via Annia, fortifications, and the remains of
private homes, workshops and public buildings. The vast collection
of objects, sculptures and other material collected during
excavations is now on display at the national archaeological museum.
Sculptures, mosaics, jewelry, glass, gemstones and household
utensils bear witness to
Aquileia’s past, forming the most coherent and complete
surviving evidence for the social, economic and religious life, and
artistic production of a Roman center in northern Italy.
The destruction of
Aquileia by Attila in A.D. 452, and then the arrival of the
Lombards in A.D. 568, deprived
Aquileia of its former political function, but not its religious
significance. In the so-called “Dark Ages”,
Aquileia became the seat of a patriarchate and a point of
reference for the Christian faithful over a vast territory that
extended as far as the Danube. Emblematic of this period is the
magnificent early Christian basilica, rebuilt in the early eleventh
century by Patriarch Poppo on the site where Bishop Theodore had founded
Aquileia’s first church in A.D. 313. A tall bell tower rises
beside the basilica, whose entire floor is decorated with superb
fourth-century mosaics.
This example of mosaic art is unique in
western Christendom for the complexity of its symbolism and for its
surface area. It comprises seven hundred and sixty square meters of
magnificently executed Biblical scenes and is the largest such work
in Europe. The Latin cross-plan church conserves other artistic
treasures, such as the early Christian mosaics that came to light
next to the basilica under the bell tower, depicting rural scenes
and complex religious symbols. The crypt under the raised presbytery
is decorated with thirteenth-century frescoes.
As well as the excavation area and the national archaeological
museum, visitors can also explore the interesting early Christian
museum at Monastero.
The road across the lagoon from
Aquileia takes you to the island of Grado, a few kilometers
away. Grado is famous above all as a seaside resort but also has a
delightful mediaeval quarter with the charming basilicas of Santa
Eufemia and Santa Maria delle Grazie, both dating from the early
Middle Ages.
Wineries:
Ca' Tullio
MARANO LAGUNARE AND CARLINO
 An ancient city with Venetian walls, Marano stands on the lagoon to
which it has lent its name. The old part of the town still boasts
the Torre Patriarcale, the Loggia and the Palazzo dei Provveditori,
the Venetian governor’s palace, all dating from the fourteenth
century.
Noted for its morning fish market and fish restaurants, Marano is the
ideal starting point from which to explore the lagoon
by boat, either accompanied by local fishermen or taking one of the
tour boats that offer full and half-day excursions in summer.
The very special lagoon habitat, with its reed beds and abundant
nesting birds, can also be observed from the visitors’ center at the
Valle Canal Novo nature reserve.
This former fish farm at the edge
of Marano can be reached on foot. The visitors’ center offers walks,
panoramic observatories, and an education section. It is normally
open all year round from Wednesday to Sunday but groups are welcome
on other days of the week if they book in advance (Information:
Marano local authority, tel. +39 0431 67551)
Wineries
Bortolusso Cav. Emiro (Carlino)
Nature
Valle Canal Novo nature reserve
Festivals and events
Festa di San Vito fair - mid June
Festa del Pesce Azzurro oil-rich fish fair - August
PALAZZOLO DELLO STELLA
In classical times, Palazzolo dello Stella was a major river port,
as may be seen from the significant archaeological finds made in the
river bed, which include two ships that sank hundreds of years ago.
The town offers the parish church of Santo Stefano, the church of
the Beata Vergine del Suffragio and the votive chapel of San
Bartolomeo, with its fourteenth-century frescoes. The river Stella
links Palazzolo to Lignano, making it the ideal starting point for
an exploration of this delightful river and the Foci del Fiume
Stella nature reserve, a protected zone where thousands of water
fowl come to nest (access by sea only, from Lignano or Marano).
Wineries
Anselmi (Pocenia)
Isola Augusta
Zaglia Giorgio (Precenicco)
Nature
Foci dello Stella nature reserve
Festivals and events
Canoes on the Stella at Precenicco - August
Pignar bonfire - 6 January
LATISANA
Latisana is a major center of Lower Friuli and a sort of outpost of
Lignano. The municipal territory embraces Aprilia Marittima, one of
the hubs of Lignano’s leisure activities with three marinas that can
accommodate hundreds of boats. In the center of the town, the
cathedral of San Giovanni Battista offers an altarpiece of the
Baptism of Christ by Paolo Veronese (sixteenth century) and the
eighteenth-century church of Sant’Antonio da Padova.
Festivals and events
Foghera bonfire - 6 January
Festa degli Asparagi asparagus fair - July
LIGNANO
Lignano is Friuli-Venezia Giulia’s leading holiday resort and one of
the most important on the Adriatic. Friuli’s leisure and
entertainment capital includes eight kilometers of beaches with
superb facilities, hotels and villas nestling in the pine groves,
night clubs, discos, amusement parks and water parks, a golf course,
thermal spas, with beauty and fitness centers, and eight leisure
marinas with moorings for more than 5,500 boats. There are three
main centers at Lignano. Sabbiadoro - which means “golden sands” -
is named for the distinctive hue of its fine sandy beach, Pineta was
designed in a verdant pine grove b y the architect Marcello d’Olivo,
and Riviera is a green area between the beach and the estuary of the
river Tagliamento
Nature
Zoo at Punta Verde
Festivals and events
Dolce e Salato motorboat excursions to various destinations in the
lagoon area - all summer
Festivalbar song festival - July
W Lignano international air fair and fireworks display - 15 August
Courtesy of
Movimento Turismo del Vino - Friuli Venezia Giulia
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