Aquileia: Basilica, Mosaics and Roman River Port

Aquileia brings together a vast archaeological landscape, distinctive buildings and a layered history. The Patriarchal Basilica, the Roman Forum and the river port offer different ways to explore the city: through mosaic art and religious history, political and social life, or the architectural traces of the port. Museums and archaeological houses are also among the attractions you can discover during your stay in Aquileia.

An Archaeological Area with Many Facets

Most of Aquileia lies unexcavated beneath fields, forming a unique archaeological reserve. The archaeological area covers 155 hectares. This scale makes Aquileia more than a collection of individual monuments: visible buildings and areas beneath the fields together define the character of the place. When planning your visit, it is therefore worth distinguishing between the different highlights rather than focusing on just one building.

Basilica, Mosaics and Frescoes

The Patriarchal Basilica houses an extraordinary mosaic floor. It also played an important role in the Christianization of a large part of Central Europe. Its frescoed crypt dates from the 9th century; the 12th-century fresco scenes depict the legend of the Evangelist Mark. Together, the building, mosaic and crypt offer different points of interest for anyone interested in religious history and art.

The mosaic in the south hall can also be examined in more detail: it is divided into three separate sections. The two side sections feature geometric patterns, while the central one contains octagons with animal figures, including a lamb. Since 2011, the mosaic has been accessible in a museum building constructed specifically for it; check the current access conditions before your visit.

Forum and Roman River Port

The Roman Forum was the central square for the political, administrative and social life of the city. At 141 meters long and 55 meters wide, its size is easy to appreciate. Three paved areas of Fondo Pasqualis that are visible today are also interpreted as marketplaces. However, identifying them as marketplaces remains an interpretation of the surviving areas.

The Roman river port is one of the best-preserved port complexes in the Roman world. Surviving sections of the riverbank, loading and unloading quays, and sloping surfaces can be seen. Ramps connected the port to the city streets. Another spatial connection is the Decumanus of Aratria Galla: it ran east-west from the river port towards the area of the Forum and the theater. These connections help place the port and the Forum within the broader urban context.

Houses, Collections and Museum Visits

The tour of Domus e Palazzo Episcopale features mosaic floors and building structures from the 1st and 2nd centuries, as well as the 4th and 5th centuries, in some places extending to a depth of four meters. If you plan this tour, check the current access conditions in advance. Fondo CAL includes a house open to visitors, with black-and-white geometric mosaics; check access details here too before your visit. The Good Shepherd mosaic decorates the apse hall at the northern end of the Fondo CAL archaeological area.

The lapidarium galleries at the National Archaeological Museum contain hundreds of inscriptions and funerary monuments. The Domus di Tito Macro covers 1,700 square meters and is considered unique in Europe. The Early Christian Museum combines a museum exhibition with an archaeological area on the site of one of Aquileia's early Christian basilicas. Those wishing to explore different themes will find inscriptions, funerary monuments and early Christian history as distinct highlights alongside the mosaics.

Plan Your Visit and Hotel Stay

The digital guide “Aquileia patrimonio dell'umanità” offers a map of 100 sights and themed itineraries through Aquileia. It can help you organize the many aspects of the city according to your interests. Casa Bertoli opens to the public for special occasions and major events, sometimes with guided tours; visits are therefore limited to these occasions. The Sepolcreto consists of five funerary enclosures.

Since January 1, 2026, the official combined ticket for Aquileia has included the Basilica and its crypts, the Baptistery and the south hall, Domus/Palazzo Episcopale, and the Domus di Tito Macro. The standard price is €12.00. As ticket rules may change, check the current conditions before your visit. If you are planning a hotel stay in Aquileia, the archaeological sites can help you choose the focus of your visit: for example, mosaics and the Basilica, the Roman Forum and the port, or the museum collections.

Discover more destinations: Belvedere, Ravascletto, Venzone, Palmanova, Raibl, Passariano, Cervignano Del Friuli, Premariacco.

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