Aquileia: not only mosaics

Art & Culture

17 May 2018

Art & Culture

Aquileia: not only mosaics

Taking advantage of a few days of holiday, my daughter and I decided to return to visit the beautiful village-city of Aquileia. We got ourselves an FVG Card, which allows you to visit the most important places in my wonderful region without worries, free to take advantage of any service for free or at discounted prices. To do this, we went to the Aquileia Infopoint, at the entrance to the little town, equipped ourselves also with the audio guide and discovered that a unique exhibition “Treasures and Emperors - The splendour of Roman Serbia" had been inaugurated a few days ago.

Being keen on history, we would certainly miss the opportunity. As we had planned, before going to the exhibition, we visited the splendid Basilica of Aquileia known above all for its floor, the largest mosaic in the Western world, with an area of 760 square metres. Another point of interest is the main crypt with its frescoes, and the crypt of the excavations, right under the bell tower. The latter stands tall — 73 metres — on Piazza Capitolo, and once you have climbed its 176 steps, you can admire a breathtaking spectacle of the Friuli plain and towards the sea by Grado.

Finally, we go to see the exhibition in Palazzo Meizlik with the splendours of Serbia during the Roman era. There are sixty-two artefacts from numerous museums such as the National Museum of Belgrade, the National Museum of Zajecar, and many others from Eastern Europe. I do not want to reveal anything, but invite you to see it as you will also find the most precious of exhibits, the so-called Belgrade cameo in multi-layered sardonyx. Aquileia is always wonderful, but when you find goodies like this show, it becomes a unique jewel that embellishes it even more.