Visit the city's remarkable basilica with its sequence of 4th century mosaics.
Explore the cobbled streets and courtyards of Grado, home to historical churches with 6th century mosaics
Discover the medieval Duomo in Cividale, high above the Natisone River
"I was educated and enlightened by the sites and the knowledge by the tour."
– ACE customer on a 2024 Aquileia: City of Antiquity tour
Aquileia, an important Roman city situated on the Adriatic coast, may be relatively unknown today, but Emperor Justinian once described it as “the greatest of all towns in the West.” Its strategic location in the 1st century CE made it a vital hub within the Roman Empire, facilitating extensive trade between Rome and the East.
“Who knew an archeology trip could be so much fun! Jamie brought ancient places and stones to life"
– ACE customer on the 2025 Aquileia: City of Antiquity tour led by Jamie Sewell
Throughout its history, from its establishment as a Roman colony amid the local Gallic people in 182 BCE to the arrival of the Huns, Goths and Lombards in the later imperial and early medieval periods, Aquileia has been revered not only for its military and economic assets but also its plethora of cultural and spiritual resources.
Our tour will take in the delightful harbour and tranquil cypress-lined forum, both prime examples of the city as a commercial and social hub, followed by a visit to the magnificent basilica, home to a remarkable sequence of 4th century mosaics and some of the oldest and most illustrious Paleo-Christian memoirs in Western Europe.
Nearby lies the beautifully situated town of Grado, a maze of cobbled streets and courtyards with splendid mosaics from the 6th century located in two of its historical churches. Cividale is located high above the Natisone River, and although little remains of this important Roman town (its original name of Forum Iulii gives the modern region of Friuli its name), we will explore the fine medieval Duomo, whose foundations date back to the 8th century, and the lovely Lombard Temple from the same period.
Our final excursion is to the enchanting seaport of Trieste. A cultural meeting-point throughout its history, today the city is the site of interesting Austro-Hungarian architecture alongside superb Byzantine mosaics, a Roman theatre and the medieval Castello di San Giusto.
The tour will be based at the four-star Astoria Hotel Italia in the city of Udine, where there is an impressive Duomo, and two interesting art galleries, including a pictorial cycle by the Venetian artist Tiepolo.
Jamie Sewell
Jamie has supervised excavations in Britain, Germany, Romania and Italy and has more than a decade’s worth of experience working as a historical guide.
This tour will be led by expert in ancient history, Jamie Sewell, PhD. Jamie has many years’ experience supervising excavations across Europe, including in Italy, and he has authored a book and many articles on the archaeology of towns in Hellenistic Italy and the broader Mediterranean. His ongoing research is focused on how and why larger settlements in Italy transformed as a result of the Roman conquest of the peninsula. Jamie has lectured at Durham University and Humboldt University in Berlin, and has more than a decade’s worth of experience working as a historical guide.
ACE is pleased to be offering an additional departure of our Aquileia: City of Antiquity tour from March 9 - 14, 2026 led by Jamie Sewell. To enquire further, please contact the office on 01223 841055.
6
£2275
AQU2-26
