My first stop here in my latest visit to Italy is the city of Aquileia. This city used to be a major city in the Roman empire and now it is just a shadow of its former self. However, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list because of its history and importance to the Roman empire. The city of Aquileia was instrumental in the evangelization of this part of Europe which made it very important to the Catholic Church. On top of that, the city itself is a treasure trove of Roman archeological ruins most of which haven’t even been excavated yet. To think that it was very important to the Roman empire, who knows what else is lying beneath our feet.

Speaking of which, what does not need excavation are the impressive mosaics that can been seen at the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta in Aquileia, also part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing. The almost thousand year old church is known for its exquisite mosaic which adorn the floor of the basilica. You can see how much care has been taken to protect the mosaic. Much of the viewing area has a transparent glass platform where visitors can walk on. This way visitors can look and get reasonably close to the mosaic without actually coming into contact with them. Of course, they are not that fragile but imagine what years of constant stomping by tourists would do to this. The central aisle of the church is blocked off and lined with the viewing platform. I think this is a great way of sharing this precious treasure with the people. This way it can last another thousand years.

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