If you tour around Italy you will visit many museums of Roman antiquities. But Aquileia museum is a very unique and special one not to be missed. Wonderfully curated. And well worth going out of your way for.

This museum was founded in 1882 from the private collection of Gian Domenico Bertoli but has since grown significantly through donations and acquisitions. It is now one of the largest museums in Italy on Roman civilisation. Entry was included on our 48 hour FVG card which cost EUR18 from the Tourist Information office. The card also included entry to the Basilica Complex amongst several other sites. The museum is less than a five minute walk from the Basilica. It appears that the building was renovated in 2018. Certainly all of the objects held are exceeding well displayed in the eight rooms spread over the three floors of the building. Each of the rooms has a different focus. We found the mosaics, coloured glassware, jewellery and coins of particular interest. There are also a significant number of statues, mosaic and funerary monuments along the Lapidary Galleries at the rear of the building.

Really well done, both from the presentation and the collection. The Roman glass and amber collection floored me. Everything explained both in Italian and good English. Advanced students of Latin might quibble about the English translations they used for the very well-chosen quotes from classical authors, but the main points come across. Don't miss this.