It’s your tour, make the most of it--A day at Palmanova & Aquileia

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Justin Weaver
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  With a month of Italian living under our belt, my wife and I were eager to venture out and explore a little more of what Italy had to offer. We'd already conquered Venice by train and we had just finished helping an Italian family harvest grapes near San Martino Di Campagna, but we wanted to experience more. 

With the help of the Information, Tickets and Tours office, we picked several locations we wanted to travel and then made our way to the BX to pick up one of the best investments you can make while stationed here in Italy - An in-car global positioning system. This little GPS has taken any hesitancy we had of traveling and thrown it out the window. 

As we piled our two young kids in the car, we decided to visit Palmanova and Aquileia, two ancient towns about an hour from Aviano. 

If you enjoy history, you'll have a great time in both of these towns. Palmanova is known for its fortress structure designed in the shape of a nine-pointed star. In between the points of the star, ramparts protrud so that the points can defend each other. A moat surrounds the town, and three big, guarded gates allow entry. 

The main sights to see in Palmanova are the cathedral, located in front of the town hall of Palmanova and the three monumental gates that lead into the town: Porta Udine, Porta Cividale and Porta Aquileia. 

Because Palmanova was a fottress city, the bell tower of the cathedral, built in 1776, was deliberately made smaller because the architects did not want enemies attacking the city to be able to see the cathedral from outside the city walls. 

On one side of the town there is a trail that follows the top wall of the town. Scattered along the trail are old artillery weapons which my son enjoyed "shooting." 

Once all the "enemies" were shot, we drove about 15 minutes down the road to Aquileia. On the way, our life-saving GPS paid off, as it helped direct us around a road block and before we knew it we were in Aquileia. 

Aquileia was founded by the Romans in 180-181BC as a frontier fortress. 

One of the main sites to see in Aquileia is the cathedral, rebuilt in 1379, and is considered one of the most important edifices of Christianity. 

There is also an archeological walk through the ancient site of Aquileia, which is believed to be the largest Roman city yet to be excavated. 

If you want a behind-the-scenes tour of Aquileia, there is an information center located on the main street of the town. For a few euros, you can have a tour guide escort you through the ancient ruins. 

All in all, it was a great day. My daughter enjoyed riding in her snuggly and my son got to play the part of artillery gunner. 

All I can say is, if you can get past the cultural barriers here, you'll find you'll enjoy your time in Italy that much more.