History and the archaeological museums - Oriental Venice, Italy

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• published: 10 Jan 2013
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The historical origins of the Eastern Veneto region have its roots sunk deeply in prehistory. A large village dwelling of the late Bronze Age was discovered at San Gaetano di Caorle on the edge of the lagoon.Already in Roman times the port of Caorle offered shelter to ships that transported goods and foodstuffs for the colonies and the cities that one after another rose in the region and along the main roads: Altino, Opitergium, Julia Concordia, until arriving at the big and important Aquilea, capital of the Augustan Region X, Venetia et Histria. A large cargo ship of impressive size, dating back to the second century BC, was discovered a few years ago off the coast of Caorle, with its cargo of amphorae still intact. The archaeological relics found in the deep waters of the sea are now available for visitors to see in a permanent exhibition TerredAcque, a wonderful journey into the history of the seaside town. Through a guided tour you can learn about the evolution of the area from the early Christian period to the modern age. Founded in the first century BC, at the crossroads between Via Annia and Via Postumia, Julia Concordia still offers significant Roman archaeological sites today, which can be visited throughout the town, thanks to the permanent exhibition inside the Town Hall and in particular near the cathedral where the remains of Trichora Martyrium are preserved, a small basilica with three circular apses and the Basilica Apostolorum.The most important artefacts unearthed at Concordia in the last century are now preserved in the National Museum of Concordia in Portogruaro. You can admire three mosaic floors, the statue presumably of a noblewoman, marble friezes and sarcophagi from the vast number of burial-grounds in Julia Concordia. Continuing into the upper room you can find bronze figurines from Roman times, glass, gemstones, amber ornaments, lamps and other daily used objects.Leaving the Museum and strolling through Portogruaro you can discover the wonderful palaces of the late medieval and Renaissance, the fresco painted porticos, the treasured palace which is the town hall. Everything is a reminder of the most marvellous social and economic condition developed over a thousand years of the Venetian Republic in this city: "the golden ages", in this region, where the main merchandise routes to Northern Europe and the East were developed.