Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie

The guided tour of Grado will make you discover the lagoon town of Friuli Venezia Giulia also known as the golden island, which has become an important tourist destination for its large beaches of white sand. But Grado is also a timeless jewel starting from its ancient port, known as Porto Mandracchio, in the shape of a Y which in Roman times was considered the merchant port of Aquileia and today has become an elegant lounge with bars and cafes where you can taste excellent spritzer. The guided tour start in the oldest Roman area of the town, we visit the Cathedral of Grado dedicated to St. Euphemia, with a splendid, very extensive pavement made up of an ancient and precious fully walkable mosaic, which traces scenes of hunting and fishing related to the Bible. The Basilica was the cathedral of the Patriarchate of Aquileia for more than eight centuries until the title was ceded to Venice, and in addition to the apse frescoed with a painting of Christ with four saints, you can also admire the Lapidary with Roman and early Christian finds. The facade of the Basilica has a beautiful fifteenth-century bell tower of over 40 meters and visible throughout the city, enriched at the top by a copper statue of the Archangel St. Michael, the symbol of the old city. Nearby we find the Baptistery with a beautiful mosaic pavement. The guided tour continues walking through the ancient Roman castrum we visit another very important building of worship for Grado, the Paleochristian-style Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a smaller church than the previous one but absolutely not to be missed. Its peculiarity are the beautiful mosaics and the figure of a fish, a well-known symbol of Christ, among all the mosaics present in Grado; inside we can admire the altar, the wooden statue of the Madonna delle Grazie and the holy water stoup. The guided tour ends by walking in the Venetian-style alleys that make the historic center elegant and suggestive views where you can take souvenir photos, up to the Lungomare Nazario Sauro with eleven kilometers of beaches, bathing establishments and spas, splendid villas and gardens