Overview

Aquileia is the largest archaeological site in Northern Italy, which once stood at the geo-political crossroad of cultural exchanges between Italy, the central-eastern Mediterranean and continental Europe. This book explores its beginnings as a Latin frontier colony which, over time, became a flourishing commercial centre of a cosmopolitan nature. By the end of the Imperial Age, it once again became the gateway to Italy, reaffirming its strategic and military role at the time of the barbarian invasions and the spread of Christianity. The archaeological discoveries and results of scientific research made over the last thirtyyears offer the reader an accessible and engaging history of the site that has existed from the 8th century BCE to the present day. The concluding chapters are dedicated to the rediscovery of the ancient city, its political use during Fascism and the modern investments that transformed Aquileia into one of the major archaeological tourism centres in Italy.

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9781350440937

Table of Contents

Reviews

This is a welcome survey of the significance of the city, drawing on recent archaeological research, both into the buildings, finds and fabric of the city, and into its natural environment. The book covers the whole range of its history from prehistory up to the Middle Ages, especially its place in the story of the Roman Empire and its collapse in the fifth century CE. It also documents the spectacular rediscovery of the largely unknown ancient city during 20th-century investigations and subsequent display of the famous early Christian mosaics. * Anthony King, Emeritus Professor of Roman Archaeology, University of Winchester, UK *

This is a welcome survey of the significance of the city, drawing on recent archaeological research, both into the buildings, finds and fabric of the city, and into its natural environment. The book covers the whole range of its history from prehistory up to the Middle Ages, especially its place in the story of the Roman Empire and its collapse in the fifth century AD. It also documents the spectacular rediscovery of the largely unknown ancient city during 20th-century investigations and subsequent display of the famous early Christian mosaics. * Anthony King, Emeritus Professor of Roman Archaeology, University of Winchester, UK *

Author Information

Jacopo Bonetto is Full Professor of Classical Archaeology at the Department of Cultural Heritage of the University of Padua, Italy. Andrea Raffaele Ghiotto is Associate Professor of Classical Archaeology at the Department of Cultural Heritage of the University of Padua, Italy.

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