Overview

The Patriarchal Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta in Aquileia (Udine) is the city's main religious building and the former cathedral church of the suppressed Patriarchate of Aquileia. Its origins date back to the 4th century, when Bishop Theodore, under the direct support of Emperor Constantine, founded two parallel halls (both measuring approximately 37x20 m) connected by a 29x13 m vestibule. Under the foundations of the bell tower, which still exist today, the oldest remains can be found. The halls, which lack an apse, had a richly decorated coffered ceiling and a floor with complex mosaics. The next phase begins with the expansion of the north hall (73x31 m) by Fortunaziano, a 4th century bishop, while the expansion of the south hall (65x29 m) and the construction of the present baptistery is attributed to Cromazio (388-407). In the 9th century, with the support of Charlemagne, Patriarch Maxentius undertook a radical restoration of the complex, followed in 1031 by Poppone's major intervention, which gave the complex a Romanesque appearance, resulting in the construction of the imposing bell tower. In the 16th century, Venetian craftsmen and carpenters created the grandiose wooden ceiling that can still be seen today. Located outside the Basilica is the cemetery of the fallen of the 1915-1918 war, where ten of the eleven unknown soldiers are resting, as well as the graves of General Alessandro Ricordi of Milan and Captain Count Riccardo della Torre of Cividale, both killed by a grenade. On the inside, the floor features various depictions, including clipeata medallions, the allegorical scene of Winged Victory and a grandiose mosaic carpet with the story of Jonah. On the left side is the Holy Sepulchre, an 11th-century structure that mimics the Sepulchre in Jerusalem.