Canon Powershot SX730 HS Taken on 14/04/2017. Italy, as well as China, has the highest number of World Heritage Sites with 55 entries. Some of these have been tourist magnets like the Historic Centres of Rome, Florence and Naples; the Duomo and Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Amalfi Coast and the Cinque Terre. But some are under-the-radar destinations — one of which is in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Aquileia (also spelled Aquileja) is an immense archaeological site just 10km from the Adriatic Sea. It was one of the largest and wealthiest cities of the Early Roman Empire and was a major trading centre linking the the Mediterranean to Central Europe. The archaeological remains of the once wonderful public buildings and private residences can still be seen today if you wander around the site. The symbol of Aquileia has to be the 'Basilica Patriarcale' ('Patriarchal Basilica') that you can see in the first photo. Completed in 1031, it is an impressive work of religious architecture that has magnificent 4th-century mosaics — scroll left and be amazed! Incredibly, the floor mosaic wasn't discovered until the beginning of the 1900s when the flooring that had been laid in for centuries was removed. It is breathtaking to see that the Basilica and Baptistry have been preserved well despite the Barbarian invasions and earthquakes over the centuries — but don't forget to delve down and visit the 'Cripta degli Affreschi' ('Crypt of Frescoes') that holds Byzantine-style frescoes from the 1100s. The paintings were absolutely amazing to look at that I just had to include some of them in this photo set. And to think this historical and artistic treasure trove doesn't pull in so many tourists! Just take a bus from Udine with 'SAF' on the Udine–Grado line! 🚍 ________________________________________ #aquileia #ig_udine #igersudine #myudine #udinetoday #italia #italy #ilikeitaly #igersitalia #igersfvg #friuliveneziagiulia #fvg #fvglive #ig_italia #yallersitalia #ig_friuli_vg #yallersfriuliveneziagiulia #unesco #worldheritage #art #history #mosaics #discoveritaly #neverstopexploring #travelgramitalia #travelblogger #traveldrops #beautifulplaces #best_italiansites #madeinitaly (at Aquileja) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_b6mb7Ic5j/?igshid=pp4cleu2b19c