Aquileia

Aquileia (medieval Aglar), town in north-east Italy, in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, at the head of the Adriatic Sea near Trieste. Aquileia is a fishing village connected by a causeway to the island of Grado, a seaside resort. Founded as a Roman colony in 181 bc, it became a great centre of trade between northern and southern Europe, earning the name The Second Rome. The city was destroyed in ad 452 by Attila, and when rebuilt became the seat of a Christian patriarchate in the 6th century. It flourished until it was occupied by the Venetians in 1420. The community was held by the Austrians from the early 16th century until 1918, when it passed to Italy. In 1998 the archaeological site of Aquileia, together with the remains of the patriarchan Basilican complex, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Population 3,487 (2007 estimate).