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Traces of other necropolises have been found along the Via Annia, in Ponterosso and South-West of Aquileia in Via San Girolamo; the Roman burial ground on the Via Annia Nuova is known and visited; a number of tombs are still visible, the richest of which is that of the Statii.
Another well-known funerary monument is the large mausoleum of an unknown Imperial functionary, rebuilt in 1937 on the present Via Giulia Augusta; it is 17 m high and rests on a massive base with two lions standing guard. It is surmounted by a parallelepiped, with traces of a bas-relief, on which rests the cylindrical main body supported by columns. Inside is the headless statue of the deceased.
No-one should leave Aquileia without visiting the magnificent cathedral whose history and size make it even more fascinating. The cathedral complex was started after the Edict
of Constantine in 313 DC by order of Bishop Theodore, it
consisted of a series of buildings which, after many alterations, eventually took on the aspect of the present cathedral whose mosaics are famous throughout the world.
Originally, the two Theodorian halls must have been parallel, connected to the West by another building. The North hall, whose mosaic floor is underneath the bell tower, was built over the site of a Roman villa dating from Augustus’ reign; furthermore, some fragments of flooring were part of the post-Theodorian cathedral attributed to Bishop Fortunaziano whose construction was prompted by the increase in the number of worshippers. The present cathedral occupies the north hall and contains 760 sq. m of mosaics, with scenes from the story of Jonah, brought to light at the beginning of the twentieth century. Traces of a fifth century pavement laid by Bishop Cromazio can be seen in the presbytery; he also ordered the construction of the baptistery outside the cathedral.
A series of alterations carried out by Patriarch Massenzio in the first decades of the ninth century and by Bishop Poppone in the eleventh century further changed the architectural aspect of the complex, which was almost completely destroyed by a disastrous earthquake in 1348.
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Rebuilding, by Marquardo di Randeck, was influenced by the Gothic taste, transforming the cathedral into an example of
Romanesque - Gothic art.
In the fifteenth century a number of Renaissance-style additions were made; the elegant canopy, or tabernacle on the right and the central loggia are the work of Bernardino da Bissone and his Comacine stonemasons.
Nor can one leave Aquileia without visiting the National Archaeological Museum in Via Roma. At its opening in 1882 the museum housed the finds collected by Canon Gian Domenico Bertoli (1671-1764); the collections were enriched over the years by new discoveries and
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The recently-opened Numismatics Room is particularly worth a
visit: as everybody knows, Aquileia had its own mint throughout the period of Imperial Rome and the Middle
Ages. Equally interesting are the rooms dealing with portraiture and
statuary, mosaic fragments and epigraphs. Visitors cannot fail to be enchanted by the collection of
amber, semiprecious stones (carnelian, jasper, onyx and chalcedony) and glass paste; they will linger to examine the rich collection of locally-produced glass and fine
tableware. Nor will they tire of the exquisite objects in bronze, silver and gold:
fibulae, bracelets, necklaces and earrings made two thousand years ago yet with a style that appeals to us even in our modern
age.
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