Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, Aquileia (Friuli Venezia Giulia) Italy, June 2020 046
The Basilica, as it is today, is in Romanesque-Gothic style. The inside is majestic and solemn and pervades us with a deep spirituality, which has grown along with the centuries. The entire floor is a wonderful coloured mosaic of the 4th century, brought to light in the years 1909-1912. The elegant hull-shaped timber roof dates back to the 15th century. This means that between floor and ceiling there are more than one thousand years of historical and artistic development. With its 760 square metres the floor is the largest Paleo-Christian mosaic of the western world. It alone could be enough to satisfy the traveller coming here to visit the Ecclesia Mater, which has become part of the world heritage. The mosaic was partly damaged due to the construction of the columns flanking the right side at the end of the 4th century according to some scholars and after the middle of the 5th century according to others. It is also possible to see the foundations of the columns because at the beginning of the 20th century the medieval white and red tiled floor made under Patriarch Poppo (1031) was removed in order to uncover the precious Paleo-Christian mosaic. The glass platforms are situated at the level of the medieval floor.
Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, Aquileia (Friuli Venezia Giulia) Italy, June 2020 046
The Basilica, as it is today, is in Romanesque-Gothic style. The inside is majestic and solemn and pervades us with a deep spirituality, which has grown along with the centuries. The entire floor is a wonderful coloured mosaic of the 4th century, brought to light in the years 1909-1912. The elegant hull-shaped timber roof dates back to the 15th century. This means that between floor and ceiling there are more than one thousand years of historical and artistic development. With its 760 square metres the floor is the largest Paleo-Christian mosaic of the western world. It alone could be enough to satisfy the traveller coming here to visit the Ecclesia Mater, which has become part of the world heritage. The mosaic was partly damaged due to the construction of the columns flanking the right side at the end of the 4th century according to some scholars and after the middle of the 5th century according to others. It is also possible to see the foundations of the columns because at the beginning of the 20th century the medieval white and red tiled floor made under Patriarch Poppo (1031) was removed in order to uncover the precious Paleo-Christian mosaic. The glass platforms are situated at the level of the medieval floor.