Benedictine Convent

In the eastern part of Aquileia stood the Benedictine female monastery of Santa Maria, of which traces remain in the name of the suburb, precisely Monastero. Its existence is documented since the 9th century. The large complex was characterized by a rectangular arcaded courtyard, with cells for the nuns. The church with the bell tower opened with the entrance to the west. The monastery was suppressed in 1782, while, in 1852, it was transformed into a farm. The church became a large room for grape harvesting and wine making. Excavations carried out in 1895 and 1949 established that the monastery church stood on an early Christian church building dating back to the 5th century AD. This building had an apse and a narthex in front (a vestibule reserved for catechumens and penitents) and was paved with a splendid mosaic sparkling with colors. Since 1961, the remains of the first cultural complex are visible inside the rustic, which also houses the Paleochristian Museum.