Religious Tourism Aquileia Ecclesia Mater at the Time of the Lombards
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HOW AND WHERE HOW Faith, culture and tradition in Friuli Venezia Giulia Venezia Friuli in tradition and culture Faith, RELIGIOUS TOURISM TOURISM RELIGIOUS Aquileia Ecclesia Mater The full development of Aquileia’s Church occurred between the second half of the 3rd century and the Villabassa di Fusine 4th century. With its 57 dioceses the metropolitical province of Aquileia was the largest in the Europe- Fusine in Valromana an Middle Ages, second for dignity to Rome only, probably unique in the harmony of people of different languages and races. Sauris di Sotto In the 3rd century the announcers of the Gospel to the people tion, the first bishop of Aquileia, Hermagoras, was selected of the Decima Regio Venetia et Histria and of the neighbou- directly by Saint Mark, invited to go to Aquileia by Saint Peter ring transalpine territories left from the Mother Church of for his work of evangelization. Aquileia, the large port town in privileged relationships with The supremacy of the Church of Aquileia found expression in Caneva Invillino di Tolmezzo Alexandria (hence the thin gold thread of the legend of Saint the assumption of the title of Patriarch by the town’s bishops Mark). Theodore was the bishop between 308 and 319 and and with the building, by bishop Theodore, of the Basilica, a was the first to sit on the bishop’s throne of Aquileia after bishop’s worship centre, intended for liturgical celebrations the Edict of Constantine of 313, which granted freedom of and for the training of catechumens. The Patriarchal Basi- worship to the Christendom. Old sources state the names of lica of Aquileia is the oldest Christian building in North-Ea- the town’s martyrs, who were probably the four bishops that stern Italy and, as a result, served as a model for other chur- preceded Theodore, together with their deacons. They are ches, even outside national borders. Another early Christian accompanied by other martyrs, such as Hilary and Tatian, complex in Aquileia is the Basilica of Monastero, whose ori- Cantius, Cantianius and Cantianella, Proetus, Hermagoras gin dates back between the end of the 4th century and the and Fortunatus, Chrysogonus, Felix and Fortunatus, whose beginning of the 5th century. The Early Christian Museum veneration spread to all Northern Italy. According to tradi- completes the visit to the early Christian sites of Aquileia. Vedronza Montegnacco Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia Aquileia Ecclesia Mater AUSTRIA AUSTRIA The tour continues reaching other locations directly rela- related to the worship of the Baptist. Among the traces of Arta Terme Tarvisio ted to the evolution of the history of the Church of Aquileia. early Christian art visible in Trieste, where the Christianity In 569, when the Lombards arrived, Grado (where the first of Aquileia spread very soon, besides those present in Saint A23 Tolmezzo places of Christian worship were built at the end of the 4th Justus Cathedral (with the remains of the early Christian Gemona century) offered refuge to bishop Paulinus, who transported mosaics of the primitive basilica), it is also possible to see del Friuli SLOVENIA Europa the treasure of the Church of Aquileia and around 606, when those in the basilica of the Madonna of the Sea. the patriarchate split into two parts, as a consequence of the San Daniele Cividale Piancavallo del Friuli del Friuli Regione serious political and religious upsets, a patriarch, supported The Early Christian Basilica of Via Madonna del Mare is a Friuli Venezia Giulia UDINE SLOVENIA by the Byzantines, settled in Grado. From this moment the single-nave suburban martyrium basilica, with mosaic flo- PORDENONE Italia patriarchs remained two: the role of Grado will later be ta- ors of the end of the 4th - beginning of the 5th and 6th centu- Palmanova GORIZIA ken by Venice, whereas Aquileia, with Cividale, will influen- ries, related to the worship of the relics. It is hard to recogni- A28 A4 TREVISO Aeroporto FVG ce the continental territories. The places of worship that at ze the relics that were worshipped here, perhaps assignable A4 Ronchi dei Legionari present can be visited are: the Cathedral or Basilica of Saint to the Apostles or to other Saints, or perhaps to Justus the Aquileia VENEZIA Euphemia, the octagonal Baptistery and the Basilica of Our martyr, the city’s patron saint, whose body was found on the SLOVENIA Lady of Graces. The history of San Canzian d’Isonzo is cen- near seashore. It is named the Santa Ecclesia Tergestina. Lignano Grado TRIESTE Sabbiadoro tred on the figures of the three martyrs Cantius, Cantianius and Cantianella, who were beheaded in this place in 303, to- The ancient Iulia Concordia became a bishop’s see in the 4th HOW TO GET THERE gether with Proetus, their master. The site of their graves is century (it was Chromatius of Aquileia who consecrated the outside the parish church, built over a previous early Chri- first bishop, perhaps named Laurence) and remained aggre- By car By plane By train stian basilica. St. Proetus’ Chapel, with the bodies of Saint gate to the Patriarchate of Aquileia also after the transfer of Motorways Regional Airport of Trieste www.trenitalia.it Proetus and Saint Chrysogonus, stands near the parish the first bishop to Grado. Of the Christian complex, at the A4 Torino - Trieste 40 km from Trieste and Udine Call Centre 89.20.21 church, along the Via Gamina. Inside the Church of San Gio- present parish church, various building phases are attested, A23 Palmanova - Udine - Tarvisio 15 km from Gorizia vanni in Tuba, at the sources of the Timavo, situated along starting from the 4th century, when the Basilica Apostolo- A28 Portogruaro - Conegliano 80 km from Pordenone a connection route between Aquileia and Trieste, you can rum was built, to solemnly welcome the venerable relics of www.aeroporto.fvg.it see the remains of a fifth-century early Christian basilica, the apostles Andrew and Thomas, of John the Baptist and of which seems to have been built over the remains of an older the evangelists Luke and John, arrived from the East. rectangular sacellum, interpreted as a Christian structure Design and Creation: Five Zone Udine _ Cartography: AIPEM Udine _ Printing: Grafiche Risma - Pordenone _ English edition printed in May 2011 _ Texts by: Agenzia TurismoFVG Translation by: D’Agostini Organizzazione Dipartimento linguistico Dagoservice _ Photographs: Archivio Turismo FVG, C. Beltrame, N. Brollo, Bumbaca, G. Crozzoli, B. Deotto, KEY OF THE SYMBOLS USED ON THE MAP Ecoplane, F. Gallina, Museo Diocesano e Gallerie del Tiepolo, U. da Pozzo, A. Savella, M. Verin. CATHEDRALS Monte TOURIST INFORMATION Grisa AGENZIA TURISMOFVG SANCTUARIES Villa Chiozza - Via Carso, 3 I - 33052 Cervignano del Friuli (UD) Basovizza tel +39 0431 387111 / fax +39 0431 387199 MONASTERIES AND ABBEYS mail: [email protected] ECCLESIASTICAL MUSEUMS Discovery Card THE PILGRIMAGE OF THE PARISH CHURCHES THE PLACES OF PRAYER FOR THE FALLEN Religious Tourism Traces of Late Ancient and Medieval Christianity The Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption in Muggia Vec- The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Gemona, is Faith, culture and tradition in Friuli Venezia Giulia Traces of Late chia, a real gem of Romanesque architecture, one of the a gem of Romanesque-Gothic art, which today can still be oldest parish churches of Trieste’s diocese, follows the me- enjoyed thanks to the careful reconstruction work after the Friuli Venezia Giulia, a region where faith has very ancient roots: the origin of the Mother Ancient and dieval and early Christian arrangement as well. serious damage of the 1976 earthquake. The sky Church of Aquileia is apostolic, in fact it is said that it was Saint Mark, sent by Saint Peter, who consecrated its first bishop Hermagoras. The exceptional character of this mother church has At the time of Medieval according been reflected uninterruptedly over the centuries, continuously inspiring the human mind in all its cultural, artistic, architectural, religious and devotional demonstrations. A richness of spirit the Lombards Christianity to Tiepolo and open-mindedness that has permeated this land, allowing it to have a welcoming attitude and dialogue towards the different people and cultures that have reached it, melting in a virtuous and positive way. Evidences of that are provided by the many traces left in the territory, which make Friuli Venezia Giulia provides to the visitors a way to the discovery of a fascinating people, the Lom- The evangelizing currents left from Aquileia at least in the first half of the 4th century, moving along Giambattista Tiepolo, one of the greatest eighteenth-century European painters, left magnificent it a unique land. Here you will find the most ancient Christian building of North-Eastern Italy: bards, linked to the events of the Italian peninsula starting from the 6th century A.D. and protagonist the ancient road network. Zuglio (Iulium Carnicum), situated along one of the routes to the Noricum, frescoes in Udine at the Patriarchal Palace and at the Oratory of Purity. the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia, a model for other churches all over the region, from Grado of a period, the Early Middle Ages, which is still mysterious for many aspects. was probably one of the first destinations of the missionaries from Aquileia. to Trieste, from Zuglio to Cormons. The Lombards arrived in 569 and left traces of great value in Cividale del Friuli and in Sesto al Reghena. From the mountains to the hills and up to the plain, Colours, atmospheres, perspectives make these paintings crament and the altarpieces with the Holy Trinity and that there are traces of late-ancient and medieval Christianity. And then monasteries and abbeys from In a tour that allows to go through the events of the Lombard a dimension remote in time, to the discovery of the events, In the south of the ancient town, which later became a bi- built following Aquileia’s model are visible on the Zuca Hill real masterpieces.