I was very impressed with the mosaic at the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta in Aquileia. Practically the entire floor of the basilica was covered in mosaic and you can just imagine how much work went into making the mosaic. One can compare it to painting which would be sweeping a paintbrush to make an image. But a mosaic requires painstaking work to place each piece on by one to make the image. From my point of view, it is harder to do. Not too far from the altar, I saw some people making their way to some kind of room. There was a small flight of stairs which goes under the altar and this can only be a crypt.

This crypt is named the Crypt of the Frescoes, naturally because of the frescoes which adorn its walls. Compared to the rest of the church, this crypt is alive with color. I believe that the church originally was covered in frescoes like these but those have all but peeled away over time. However, here in the crypt, where it is protected from the outside climate, the frescoes are still more or less intact. It shows the story of the arrival of Christianity in Aquileia, as well as the story of their very own saint, the first bishop of Aquileia. Sometimes it can be eerie to visit a crypt because of obvious reasons but here it didn’t feel scary at all. I think it is because it is bright compared to a normal crypt which tends to be dark.

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