Basilica of Aquileia

Visit the most famous monument of ancient Aquileia: the floor mosaic – the largest in the Western Christian world –, the crypt with excavations and frescoes, the bell tower offering a view over the city and the plain all the way to the sea.

The Basilica is ancient Aquileia’s largest and most admired monument. What we see today is the result of various renovations and extensions that have been carried out over the course of the centuries, but that have not compromised the grandeur of the building and the allure that it still holds for visitors.

The Basilica’s real gem is its floor mosaic, which covered the two large halls of worship that were built at the beginning of the fourth century. The mosaic in the southern hall, that which corresponds to the current Basilica, is the largest in the Christian Western world with its 750 square metres. For almost a third of its length, it is dedicated to the story of Jonah, and its richness and precise details are surprising.

The north hall corresponds to the current Excavations Crypt: some of the surviving mosaics, visible around the foundations of the bell tower, built at the beginning of the eleventh century, are particularly accurate and remain a mystery in terms of their symbology. Instead, the Crypt of Frescoes dates back to the ninth century and is decorated with images from the twelfth century that reveal a unique combination of Eastern and Western Christian art.

From April to September, it is possible to climb the bell tower, which is over 70 metres high and offers a view looking out over the entire city and surrounding plain as far as the sea.

The basilica complex also includes the Baptistery and its southern hall.

Basilica of Aquileia
Piazza Capitolo, 1
I-33051 Aquileia (UD)
Tel. +39 0431 919719
www.basilicadiaquileia.it
basilica.aquileia@virgilio.it

Please visit the website

Ticket basilica + crypt of excavation and crypt of frescoes
Full ticket: € 5,00
Reduced ticket: € 4,00 (for groups with more than 15 people)
Free Schools and people under 18 years
Free with FVGcard and FVGcard Aquileia

Ticket for the Basilica complex (Basilica, Crypts, Baptistery, Süd Halle, Domus Palazzo Episcopale, Bell tower – bell tower is closed currently)
Full ticket: € 10,00
Reduced ticket: € 7,50 (for groups with more than 15 people)
Free with FVGcard and FVGcard Aquileia

Groups from 15 people must book the entrance. If accompanied by a tour guide, they must also be equipped with radio guides that should be booked in advance (more info: Basilica website or info@basilicadiaquileia.it). Radio guide cost: € 2,00 per person