Grado

When Aquileia fell, its bishops and population moved to this island in the lagoon, and Grado became for a time a patriarchal seat; the basilica of Sant'Eufemia of 579 and the smaller Santa Maria delle Grazie both survive with mosaic floors and early Christian fittings, and a lapidary of sarcophagi sits between them. The old town is a knot of narrow calli around them. From the nineteenth century Grado developed as a sea-bathing resort for the Austrian empire, and it kept that role. Out in the lagoon stand casoni, thatched reed fishermen's huts, some still maintained and used.

History

Once mainly a fishing centre, the town on the lagoon between the mouth of the Isonzo and the Adriatic is now known as the "Island of the Sun", and it has been a spa town since 1873 (Wikipedia, Grado, Friuli Venezia Giulia).

What's there

• Sant'Eufemia - a basilica of 579 with its mosaic floor intact.
• The lapidary - early Christian sarcophagi between the two churches.
• The casoni - thatched reed huts on lagoon islets.
• The old calli - a compact grid of narrow lanes around the basilicas.

When to go

May to September for the beach and lagoon boats; the island is quiet out of season with many places shut. The Perdon de Barbana boat procession is in early July.

Practical notes

The resort side is developed and busy in August. Lagoon boat trips are seasonal. Casoni are private and viewed from the water.

Nearby

Aquileia lies inland; Trieste is east.