Italy: Archaeological Area of Aquileia

From Trieste, we made a day trip to Aquileia by train and bus. Aquileia didn't get on our radar until I looked around for things to do around Trieste. Today Aquileia, UNESCO 1998, is a small village of a few thousand people. In the 2nd century CE, Aquileia was estimated to have 100,000 people, and was considered a "Second Rome." Aquileia was sacked and destroyed by Attila the Hun in 452. The migration of refugees from Aquileia is often linked to the founding of Venice.

Aquileia isn't particularly well preserved and excavated. The major thoroughfare thru town bisects the Forum. The most prominent features were the rather uncommon river harbor, and mosaics. Mosaic was popular during Roman times, and was deployed in early Christian churches, as in the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta. While many of the mosaics were geometric, there were acres of them.

We arrived at Aquileia by bus. We spotted a sign with a reconstruction of the Roman City, passed a pile of cremation urns and a relocated mausoleum, then headed straight to the Roman Road.








We happened to visit on one of the two "Archaeology Days" of the year when archaeologists give tours. So we headed over to the Roman Forum.




Then we walked on the mulit-purpose trail to the Paleochristian Museum, housed in the ruin of a Roman Christian Basilica with a mosaic floor, the second best church mosaic floor in Aquileia. Keep reading. The museum also houses the floor of the Basilica of Fondo Tullio on a mezzanine level modern addition. This is early Christian symbolism.








And down into the floor of the basilica.






There was a Roman Port on the 48 meters wide Natissa River, but the river is now silted up.




The Roman House of Titus Macer was cool. To conserve the site, a roof was built in the presumed shape of the original.






We took a break at the lunch hour and visited the weekend Roman Encampment.






The 11th century Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta Complex has 5 key components.

• The Baptistery and adjacent halls/li>
  
  
• The 11th century Basilica and its 4th century Christian 4th-century floor mosaics depicting the story of Jonah, the Good Shepherd, and moire.





• TThe 12th century Crypt of Frescoes



• The Crypt of the Excavations where a section of the 4th-century mosaic floor was destroyed when a massive bell tower was built in the 11th century /li>
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The 11th century bell tower.

The site museum was excellent. In the entrance hall, a pair of telemons / atlantes.


Medalion.


Cremation Urns.


Ancient Roman Portrait Heads and Busts


Abduction of Europa Mosaic


The coolest part of the museum was the series of Visitable Storerooms. Reminded me of the penultimate scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Italy: Trieste

The terrible history student I've always been, realized some time during our trip, the first part of our journey, up to when we fly to France, is about visiting the parts of Italy they gained after WWI, some of which they lost after WWII, and some they held on to such as the Dolomites and Trieste.

Julius Caesar granted the ancient town of Trieste, then known as Tergeste, the status of a Roman colony around 46 BC. In the Medieval Period, the name gradually evolved from Tergeste to Trieste.

Trieste was the one and only port city of the Habsburgs, and it was a free port 1719–1891 during which huge quantities of commodities came from the colonies and plantations. Trieste prospered. Even today, 40% of all green coffee entering Italy comes through Trieste; illy caffè is from Trieste.

Thus, Trieste has a lot of grand buildings, public and private. One of them we visited was the house of Pasquale Revoltella who was instrumental to the Suez Canal. Though the canal did not open until 1869, it greatly benefited Trieste.

Another grand building was Miramare Castle, built for Maximilian I around 1860, and where he accepted the crown of Emperor of Mexico in 1864. Three years later he was executed in Mexico 1867. However the content of the Palace fared much better, surviving displacements during both WWI and WWII. In fact, Miramare is a rare European palace that remains intact. Did they have some nice stuff!!! We rarely pay to go inside palaces anymore. We happened to have bought the tourist pass for Trieste that included Miramare - dumb luck.

Another legacy we experienced was the Opicina Tramway which opened in 1902. It climbs from sea level up to 329 meters in Opicina on the Karst plateau in 5 km. The climbing part is a steep 26% where the tram is hitched to a funicular "sled" pushed from behind. Quite a unique system!

We arrived at a lively Trieste Centrale Station after a short train ride from Udine.




In the evenings folks stroll and hang out at the Grande Canal, Piazza Unità, and the adjacent pier to watch cruise ships depart.








Also on Piazza Unità is the Palazzo del Governo with its shimmering mosaics.


One day we rode the Hop On Hop Off bus to Miramare Castle and Gardens, passing the cement beaches that make up the so-called Trieste Riviera (first below) on the way.








The Museo Revoltella Gallery of Modern Art was filled with memorable works including an excellent painting of the Suez Canal (1st below) as Revoltella was an enthusiast. Compare his painting to my 2022 photo from the airplane when we flew from Alexandria, Egypt to Amman, Jordan.




And: The Last Leaf (1910) by Giovanni Giani. Grandmother's Story (1875) by Pietro Saltini. Lady Walking with her Dog (1878) by Giuseppe De Nittis. After First Communion (1892) by Carl Frithjof Smith.








Here are photos and short videos from our journey to Opicina and back on the historic tram. And the great view from the Opicina Obelisk Belvedere (3rd below).














We passed the ruins of the Roman Theatre (1st Below), and the Roman Arch (2nd below) on the way up to the Cathedral (3rd and 4th below) on Monte Saint Guisto.








Monte St Guiuto was the site of the Roman City. There are the ruins of the forum and a basilica (with the existing Cathedral behind). Not to mention a great view down to Triest.






There is also a War Memorial (1st below), Habsburg fort (2nd below), and an Archaeological Museum of Roman Mosaics and Inscriptions (3rd).


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From San Guisto we rode the Autobus Elettrico to Trieste Centrale, then walked up Via Commercial to check out the Liberty Style Art Nouveau Architecture with Casa Pietro Valdoni (3rd and 4th below declared the winner.








Bonus Museo Revoltella works. Beethoven (1900) by Lionello Balestrieri. The Blue Veil (Il Velo Blu) by Triestino Painter Glauco Cambon (1875–1930).




Thanks for reaching the end of this long post! - sun-ling and john