Leaving Val Cavanata, continue along the cycle/pedestrian path towards Luseo, Tenuta Primero and Punta Spin, where you enter Bosco La Rotta, a small remnant of the first coastal reforestation projects at the end of the 19th century, to reach Grado Pineta on the coast, where you have two options for continuing towards the important tourist and spa resort of Grado. The first option is to continue towards the lagoon and Isola della Schiusa, while the ALTERNATIVE route takes you along the long beach, famous among the European bourgeoisie as early as the mid-19th century for its therapeutic facilities. In ancient history, Grado played such a decisive political and religious role that it was considered, in the name of the patriarchs, the daughter of Aquileia and the mother of Venice. After visiting the historic center and the two splendid early Christian basilicas of Sant’Eufemia and Santa Maria delle Grazie, you can also take a boat to the island of Barbana and its sanctuary, which legend says was founded in 582 (ferry from the center). Now, after the swing bridge, you will have to take the long, exciting trans-lagoon road to reach the mainland again at Belvedere, where you continue on the cycle/pedestrian path that now follows the route of the former Cervignano-Belvedere railway. The bell tower of the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta in Aquileia, famous for its symbolic thousand-year-old mosaics and much more, comes into view, marking the end of the journey. Aquileia, already inhabited in protohistoric times, was founded as a Roman colony and became an important military base for Rome’s expansion towards Istria, Dalmatia, and the Danube. Over time, its patriarchate became a very complex institution that transformed into a large transregional stronghold of evangelization. A visit to the basilica, the river port, the forum, the archaeological excavations, and the museums will conclude the tour of this exceptional UNESCO World Heritage Site.
