It's hard to believe that this is the first review for Aquileia. There were many other visitors when I was there, and the site is very close to Venice and the tourist resorts on the Upper Adriatic. Anyway, Aquileia is a famous and familiar name for anyone who has ever read something about ancient history. Before the rise of Venice, it was by far the most important town in this region and a commercial as well as a religious centre, which it remained long into the Middle Ages. Much of it was destroyed during the Late Empire, most famously by the Huns, but there are still many relics to see. The Patriarchal Basilica is a much later building - from the 11th century -, but sits on the ruins of ancient churches and is really very impressive (especially the mosaics). Aquileia today is no big metropolis anymore, but it is still a pleasant little town, and since it is only about 90 minutes by train from Venice, this is definitely a recommended excursion.