What to see and what to do in Grado, Aquileia, Palmanova

The Museum of Peasant Civilization of Friuli Imperiale in Aiello del Friuli is located at the restored agricultural business center. It has four different eras from the 18th to the 20th century. The museum also owns examples of the environment of the rural house from 1500 until 1918. Among the different objects you can see more than 20,000 original items divided into 30 thematic sections.

The archaeological area, located on the Via Giulia Augusta, has a space of great historical importance. It is an area in which in ancient times a Roman city stood, the remains of which are still visible: the domus, the oratory, the mosaics and several other Roman elements of the time. The site is carefully curated by the National Archaeological Museum of Aquileia, which organizes tours itineraries to show closely what is left of the ancient city.

It has a Latin cross plan; the interior has three naves, divided by a reuse colonnade, which reach the transept where three richly frescoed apses open.

Porta Cividale was built in the first half of the 17th century and is covered in rustic rusticated and white and gray stone. The balustrade connects the two watchtowers, and originally on the façade was placed a stone marching lion, later shot down by French troops. In the upper part there is the Military Historical Museum of Palmanova.

Porta Aquileia has a typically Renaissance structure and is located in the southern part of the polygonal city of Palmanova. The façade takes up the Roman triumphal arches but shows in a different way the scrolls that expand from the frame until you reach the garrita. The architects M. Bosco and M. Cafazzo carried out the restoration and conservation of the stone facade.

The Fortress City of Palmanova was built with the function of defending territorial boundaries from Turkish invasions. Built by the Venetians around 1593, it is also called a starry city because of its polygonal star plan with nine spikes. The entrance to the historic center is through three Monumental gates called Cividale, Aquileia and Udine. During the Venetian era, the fortress was equipped with two circles of fortifications to protect the doors mentioned above.

The Historical Civic Museum is located in the Palazzo Trevisan and is located in the historic center of the city of Palmanova. It houses and exhibits precious collections of drawings, weapons and documents that in chronological order tell of the founding of the city coming up to the First World War.

The Museum is located inside a facility that dates back to the fourth century. It is a great collection of objects and documentations of a religious nature and of very ancient origin. All the elements are well maintained and arranged on three floors and offer the opportunity to retrace the history of the development of Christianity. All interested parties can visit it and have the opportunity to breathe the atmosphere of a basilica typical of the fourteenth century.

The Lapidary Museum of the Cathedral of S. Eufemia is located in the complex of the homonymous basilica. Inside it exhibits finds that date back to Roman and early Christian times and there are also inscriptions, some parts of very ancient sarcophagi. The convenience of visiting the lapidary lies in the fact that you can also see other important monuments.