A large municipality in the province of Udine, not far from the lagoon of Grado, crossed by the River Natissa, Aquileia is a center of fine art and rich in history for the presence of archaeological excavations, important early Christian and medieval monuments. It was a Roman military garrison and features a typical forum located close to the intersection of the Decumanus Maximus and the Cardo Maximus.
Founded in 181 B.C. , under the domain of the Romans, the town expanded rapidly and gained fame as a major political and administrative center and as a hub of commerce. when the Empire fell, it remained without order and defense and was easy prey of the Barbarians of Alaric, the Huns of Attilas, the Goths and the Ostrogoths, attacks that brought to an inevitable period of decline. Around 568 in the region was invaded by the Lombards and the territories were incorporated into the Duchy of Fruili and assigned to Gisulfo, nephew of King Alboin. After the spread of Christianity, the center exercised a new moral and cultural function and its bishop's was empowered and dominated over the whole breadth of the jurisdiction. In the Middle Ages, after some early difficulties, the patriarchs extended their dominion over a large part of the region. Subsequently the town submitted a second period of decline and was incorporated into Venetian State, which in 1420 ended the domain of the patriarchal state.

Attractions:
- the Basilica, not far from Natissa, was rebuilt in Romanesque style in the early decades of year 1000 on the ruins of an existing building of the IX century and later was completed with Gothic and Renaissance decorative elements . It is preceded by an arcade supported by columns and covered by a roof, that connects the church of the Pagans and the Baptistery. Its façade features haute reliefs, niches and a double lancet window, while the side walls are interrupted by arches and lancet windows. It is flanked by a massive church Bell tower with a square base, dating to the XI century and has been subject to restructuring during the XVI century and is surmounted by a conical spire. Inside is preserved a triptych of the artist Pellegrino of San Daniele, which dates back to 1503;
- the Church of the Pagans of the IX century;
- the Baptistery dating from the V century;
- the Roman cemetery with five tombs dating from between the I and IV centuries;
- the beautiful mosaics, the ruins of the market, walls, roads, traces of the port and the Forum of the Roman period;
- the Archaeological Museum, which contains funerary portraits, statues, funerary objects, objects in glass, silver and gold;
- the Early Christian Museum.