The Basilica Santa Maria Assunta is the largest and most admired monument of ancient Aquileia. What we see today is the result of various renovations and expansions carried out over the centuries, which however have not compromised the solemnity of the building and the charm that it still exerts on visitors.
The true jewel of the basilica is the floor mosaic, which covered the two large worship halls built in the early 4th century. The mosaic in the southern hall, which corresponds to the current basilica, with its 750 m2 is the largest in the Western Christian world. For almost a third of its extension it is dedicated to the story of Jonah and is surprising for the richness and precision of the details.
The north hall instead corresponds to the current crypt of the excavations: some of the surviving mosaics, visible around the foundations of the bell tower built at the beginning of the 11th century, are particularly accurate and still mysterious in their symbolism. The crypt of the frescoes, however, dates back to the 9th century and is decorated with images from the 12th century which present a singular union between the Christian arts of the East and the West.
In the period April-September it is possible to climb the bell tower, over 70 meters high, which offers a view over the entire city and the surrounding plain up to the sea.
The basilica complex also includes the baptistery and its south hall.