The Mosaics of Aquileia

This booklet about the mosaics in Aquileia is published by the Italian publisher Bruno Fachin Editore. It is available in two editions, both of which include four languages:

** First edition: Italian, German, English, and French in one book

** Second edition: Polish, Russian, Czech, and Hungarian in one book

The text is written by the Italian author Marzia Vidulli Torlo who is also the author of Trieste: Historical and artistic Guide, also published by Bruno Fachin Editore.

In the beginning of the book there is a brief chronology, which covers the history of the town from the founding in 186 BC until AD 1915, when it was annexted into the kingdom of Italy. There is also a map, which shows the modern roads and the location of ancient monuments and archaeological sites.

The main text is divided into sixteen short sections where the author presents mosaics discovered or on display in the Cathedral (Basilica Patriarchale), The National Museum, The Early Christian Museum, and the Roman houses in Aquileia.

At the end of the book there is a chart which gives the opening times of the museums and other locations in the town. Here are the headlines:

1. The mosaics

2. The National Museum

3. Vine-shoots with a bow

4. The rape of Europe

5. Asaroton or “the unswept floor”

6. A small panel with a fish

7. Mosaics of the great baths

8. Houses in the CAL fields

09. Houses in the Cossar field

10. The Cathedral (Basilica Patriarchale)

11. The style of the mosaics in the Theodorian Halls

12. The southern Theodorian Hall

13. The northern Theodorian Hall and “the excavation crypt”

14. The Early Christian Museum

15. Basilica of Beligno or Tullio field

16. The mosaic of the phoenix

The book is fully illustrated. All mosaics mentioned in the text are shown with a picture. All illustrations are in colour except a few drawings and floorplans which are in black-and-white.

In antiquity Aquileia was a large city, in part because it had an important harbour, but in AD 452 Attila the Hun and his army conquered and sacked the city after a siege which lasted three years. Today Aquileia is a small town; not as well-known, and not as famous as Ravenna, which is also an important location for ancient mosaics. But Aquileia is definitely worth a visit, and this book is a good introduction to the mosaics that you can see there.

For more information about this place, I can suggest Aquileia: History, Art & Archaeology written by Marzia Vidulli Torlo and two other Italian scholars (Annalisa Giovannini and Paola Ventura) and published by Bruno Fachin Editore in 2012 (128 pages in large format).

I can also suggest Aquileia & Ravenna, where the English and Italian text is written by Alessandro Vigevani and the pictures are taken by Fulvio Roiter; published by Vianello Libri in 1994 (164 pages in large format).

If you think it is difficult to get to Aquileia, you have to think again. It is quite easy:

From Udine you can take a bus (which continues to Grado on the coast). There are many connections every day on weekdays (from Monday to Friday) and some connections during the weekend.

From Venezia Mestre you can take a train towards Trieste. Get off at Cervignano train station and from there take a bus to Aquileia.

Once you are there, you will find that the town is so small that you can walk to every destination in a short time. Many visitors use bicycles, which can be a good idea, because the landscape is flat, and there is a separate bicycle lane along several roads.

Marzia Vidullo Torlo’s slim volume about the mosaics in Aquileia is a great way to study and understand the ancient monuments in this town. If you are interested in ancient history, in particular ancient mosaics, I am sure you will enjoy this book.

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Marzia Vidulli Torlo,

Aquileia: Mosaici,

Bruno Fachin Editore, 2011, 64 pages

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Aquileia: History, Art & Archaeology

Aquileia: History, Art & Archaeology is written by three Italian scholars (Annalisa Giovannini, Paola Ventura, and Marzia Vidulli Torlo) and published by Bruno Fachin Editore. It is available in four languages: Italian, English, French, and German.

The main text is divided into four chapters. Here is a brief overview:

Chapter I – “Roman Aquileia” - covers all the ancient monuments in the town, including the forum, the river port, and the grand mausoleum.

Chapter II – “Museo Archaeologico” - presents the Archaeological Museum and the Lapidary Galleries. The museum was founded in 1882; construction of the lapidary galleries began in 1898 and was completed in the 1950s, when some store rooms were added.

Chapter III – “Late Antiquity and Christian Aquileia” - covers the basilica complex and the famous mosaics discovered there, i.e. the cathedral, the crypt of frescoes, the crypt of excavations, the baptistery, the south hall, and the bell tower.

Chapter IV – “Museo Paleocristiano” - presents the Early Christian Museum, where more mosaics are on display. This museum was opened in 1961.

Before chapter I there is an ideal reconstruction of Aquileia in the fourth century AD made with modern 3-D technologies. This picture shows eight ancient monuments and the Natiso Cum Turro River which passes the ancient town on the eastern and southern side (pp. 10-11)

After chapter IV there is a section with some practical information: how to get to Aquileia, where to eat and sleep (restaurants and hotels), a glossary of technical terms, and a brief bibliography (pp. 122-128).

Inside the front cover there is a flap. When you open the flap, you will find a map of Aquileia, which shows the modern town and the ancient monuments.

Please note: not all ancient monuments are visible today, for instance the monuments built for entertainment: the amphitheatre (southwest), the circus or hippodrome (northwest), and the theatre (which is located between them).

Inside the back cover there is another flap. When you open the flap, you will find a map of the region known as Friuli Venezia Giulia with Aquileia clearly marked and with brief notes about other towns and interesting sites in the region, such as Grado (south of Aquileia), Pordenone (west of Aquileia), and Trieste (east of Aquileia).

I like this book. It covers the historical background and presents the ancient monuments one by one. The text is illustrated by excellent photos and helpful maps. All illustrations are in colour - except for a few old photos, which are in black-and-white.

In antiquity Aquileia was a large city, in part because it had an important harbour, but in AD 452 Attila the Hun and his army conquered and sacked the city after a siege which lasted three years. Today Aquileia is a small town; not as well-known, and not as famous as Ravenna, which is also an important location for ancient mosaics. But Aquileia is definitely worth a visit, and this book is a good introduction - and a good guide - to the ancient monuments you can see there.

Some visitors spend only one day in Aquileia. In my opinion this is not enough. I recommend 3-4 days. If you have one more day to spend, I recommend a day trip to Grado – a charming seaside resort ca. 10 km to the south.

Perhaps you wish to focus on the mosaics. In that case I can suggest a small but excellent book: Aquileia Mosaici written by Marzia Vidulli Torlo and also published by Bruno Fachin Editore. The title is in Italian, but the text is printed in four languages: Italian, German, English, and French.

If you think it is difficult to get to Aquileia, think again. It is quite easy:

From Udine you can take a bus (which continues to Grado on the coast). There are many connections every day on weekdays (from Monday to Friday) and some connections during the weekend.

From Venezia Mestre you can take a train towards Trieste. Get off at Cervignano train station and from there take a bus to Aquileia.

Once you are there, you will find that the town is so small that you can walk to every destination in a short time.

Some visitors use bicycles, which can be a good idea, because the landscape is flat, and there are separate bicycle lanes along several roads. You can rent a bicycle at the tourist office, which is located on Via Giulia Augusta - next to the car park by Via della Stazione.

Aquileia: History, Art & Archaeology is a great work. You can read it in your home as an armchair traveller. You can use it as a guidebook. If you are interested in ancient history, in particular the Roman Empire, I am sure you will enjoy this book.

* * *

Annalisa Giovannini, Paola Ventura, and Marzia Vidulli Torlo,

Aquileia: History, Art & Archaeology,

Bruno Fachin Editore, 2012, 128 pages

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Copenhagen: The Little Mermaid



 



The statue known as the Little Mermaid was created by

the Danish artist Edward Eriksen (1876-1959)



 

It was donated to the city of Copenhagen by the brewer
Carl Jacobsen (the founder of Glyptoteket). 

 

The statue was erected in the northern harbour (Langelinie) in 1913.

The statue was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale by the same name.

 

 This poster says: "Climbing on the monument is not allowed."
 

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Copenhagen:The Round Tower

 

The Round Tower (Rundetårn) is located in the centre of Copenhagen.
It was built by King Christian IV between 1637 and 1642.
On top of the tower there is an observatory.

Instead of a staircase, there is a spiral ramp which turns 7.5 times

around itself before reaching the top of the tower. 

 

 

Christian IV was King of Denmark from 1588 to 1648. 

 

On the way to the top of the tower, you can enter the Library Hall, which lies above
the Trinitatis Church, built next to the tower, and consecrated in 1656.
Today the hall is used for temporary exhibitions and cultural events.

 

A small-scale model of Copenhagen around 1700 with the Round Tower

and the Trinitatis Church in the centre.

 

 

 A small-scale model of the Round Tower and the Trinitatis Church

is on display in the attic above the Library Hall.

 

 

From the observation platform (34 m above street level) you will have a good view of

the Danish capital (if you visit the tower on a clear day).

 

The Russian Czar Peter the Great ascended the spiral ramp on horseback
during his visit to Copenhagen in 1716.

 

Small statues of King Christian IV are for sale in the souvenir shop

located in the corner of the Library Hall.

 

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Potsdam: Glienicker Brücke

 

This map shows the location of Glienicker Brücke which connects the eastern part of Potsdam (left side) with the western part of Berlin (right side).

On the Potsdam side the bridge is flanked by a colonnade

The bridge seen from the Potsdam side.

The famous exhange of spies took place on this bridge in 1962

This black-and-white picture, which shows the bridge from the Postdam side, was made long before Germany was divided into East Germany and West Germany and long before Berlin was divided into East Berlin and West Berlin, probably in the 1920s.

The bridge seen from the Potsdam side

The bridge was built 1904-1907. It was destroyed during World War Two. After the war it was rebuilt and opened to the public in 1949. The East German government named it the Bridge of Unity. The name became ironic when the East German government erected the Berlin Wall in 1961 and closed the bridge. When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, the bridge was opened to the public again.

 

The bridge seen from the Berlin side

A black-and-white photo of the bridge taken on 7 July 1955. The bridge was used as a check point, because travellers were passing from East Germany into West Berlin or from West Berlin into East Germany.

A modern cruiser passes under the bridge

 



The bridge seen from the Berlin side

The bridge seen from the Berlin side

 

The bridge seen from the Berlin side

 

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For information about the famous spy exchange which took place on this bridge in 1962

please turn to Bridge of Spies: A True Story of the Cold War by Giles Whittell

(hardcover 2011, paperback 2012)

 

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Potsdam: Cecilienhof (1)

 

Cecilienhof Palace, built in the style of an English manor house from 1913 to 1917,

was the last palace built by the Hohenzollern family.

Designed by Paul Schultze-Naumburg, it was the residence of Crown Prince Wilhelm

and his family until 1945. It was named after his wife, Crown Princess Cecilie.

The building contains 176 rooms, which are now used as a historical museum
(the eastern section) and a hotel (the western section, seen in this picture).

The palace became famous when, in the summer of 1945 from 17 July to 2 August,

US President Harry S. Truman, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, the British Prime Minister

Winston Churchill and his successor Clement Attlee met here for the Potsdam conference.

The conference room with its well-known round table, the studies of the delegations and

the planted star in the central courtyard (seen in this picture)

have been preserved as a historic site.

The star of red geraniums framed with blue hydrangeas was originally planted in July 1945

for the coming conference of the "Big Three." Therefore this floral composition is a

relevant part of the external framework of the Potsdam conference.

The western section of Cecilienhof, which is used as a hotel today.

Cecilienhof seen from the north.

Through the arcade there is access to the eastern courtyard.

The northeastern corner of Celicienhof.

The northern facade of Celienhof,
which faces the lake called Jungfernsee.

 

 From the park outside Cecilienhof, looking north, towards Jungfernsee.
From 1961 to 1989 a part of the Berlin wall stood on the grass seen in this picture,
between the hedge and the water: Potsdam was in East Germany,
while the land on the other side of the lake was a part of West Berlin.

 This black-and-white picture of Cecilienhof seen from the air was taken in 1936.

Go to the next installment:

Potsdam: Cecilienhof (2)

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Potsdam: Cecilienhof (2)

 

 

This picture was taken during the Yalta conference, which was held in February 1945
(ca. five months before the Postdam conference). Sitting in the front row from the left:

Winston Churchill, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin.

 

The Potsdam conference in July 1945:

Churchill arrives at Cecilienhof with a member of his staff.

The Postdam conference in 1945:

Stalin arrives at Cecilienhof with his delegation

 

The Potsdam conference in July 1945. Standing outside Cecilienhof from the left:
Winston Churchill, Harry S. Truman, and Joseph Stalin. 

 

During the Potsdam conference this room was used as an informal meeting place.

The door panels in this room have elegant carvings made of ivory

 

 The Potsdam conference in 1945:
Stalin arrives at Cecilienhof with his delegation.

 

During the Potsdam conference this room served as the study of
the leader of the Soviet delegation, Joseph Stalin

Stalin's study includes a large desk and an open fireplace

 

 Stalin's study also includes a niche with a sofa group

 

During the Potsdam conference the Great Hall of Cecilienhof was used as the official meeting room.
Three flags representing the "Big Three" are hanging from the wall.

 

The Great Hall, which was used as the official meeting room,
is still preserved as it was during the conference in 1945

 

The Potsdam conference in 1945.
The delegations in session in the Great Hall of Cecilienhof 

 

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Go to the next installment:

Potsdam: Cecilienhof (3) 

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