You can approach the Roman ruins of Aquileia by road or by water. The road to Grado passes right through the small town, displaying the ruins on either side of the tarmac. What you don’t realise is how ‘basic’ these are compared with what lies beyond the nearby field to the east.

In these ruins and the carefully preserved artefacts found here is told the story of one of Rome’s most important cities, and the place from which its embrace of the Christian faith was spread throughout its empire. Yet, they are practically unknown except to the dedicated tourists researching Italian history.

Aquileia has another story to tell, one of the post Roman era, whose local remains are far more than tumbled stone by the modern roadside…

From Grado, where we were staying, you can use either road or water to get to Aquileia. We chose water, uniquely enabled by Grado being an island surrounded (apart from a long causeway) by sea which gives access to waterways that reach deep into the Italian countryside.

The first part of the journey is from Gerado’s port and along the coast, as though following the route to the deeper waters and out towards Trieste or Venice.

After about twenty minutes of sailing, the ferry makes a surprising change of course towards what look like swampy waters along the mainland coast.

A number of small islands appear in the stream, some of them inhabited. What a hermit-like existence! But there’s something tranquil about it… Better see it in winter before we make an offer!

Ahead, the dense vegetation seems to part, and the ‘canal’ to Aquileia is revealed.

The number of boats moored here is surprising but I suspect economic. It’s a lot less expensive to keep a boat in this quiet backwater than on the expensive island of Grado, itself. As we sail deeper into the mainland – the outbound trip last about 30 mins – we notice more and more sophisticated craft.

Eventually, the mystery is solved. One of the province’s oldest boatbuilders operated from the edge of Aquileia. It’s a place of the ancient and the very modern.

Ahead of us now are the edges of Aquileia town. There is a feeling of surprises to come…

To be continued in Part Two.

©Stephen Tanham 2024

All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12 ProMax. Illustrative images created using NightCafe Studio AI.

Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one on their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation.