Aquileia

Aquileia is a historic city founded by the Ancient Romans in 181 B.C. and today it has a population of about 3,300 people.
A World Heritage Site since 1998, it was one of the most important Adriatic ports of the Roman Empire, the starting point of the main trade, cultural and military routes for expansion into north-eastern Europe. It was also an important agricultural and manufacturing centre, with activities including working semiprecious stones and amber from the Baltic. Its power declined in 452 A.D. with the siege of Attila's Huns, but between the 11th and 14th centuries it experienced a new period of great splendour as the seat of the Patriarchate. Before the latter was abolished in 1751, in its heyday it stretched from Lake Como to Hungary. In 1420 Aquileia came under Venetian rule, then it passed to the Hapsburg Empire. Only in 1918 did it become Italian after the First World War.
Aquileia is a city of art that deserves to be discovered. Its landmarks are linked to the splendours of the Roman Empire, including the exceptional Aquileia Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica, the most important in northern Italy. There are numerous outdoor activities promoted in the area, which also boasts a two-thousand-year-old wine and culinary tradition, with Friulian recipes.