Museum ARCHAEOLOGICAL AREA OF CONCORDIA SAGITTARIA

Welcome to the archaeological area of Concordia Sagittaria, located beneath the Cathedral of Saint Stephen.
Excavation campaigns conducted between the 1950s and 1990s uncovered Roman structures and an impressive Early Christian complex dating to the 4th–5th century AD.

This area, once just outside the eastern walls of the city, underwent significant transformations over the centuries. During Roman times, it was crossed by a paved stretch of the Via Annia and hosted commercial warehouses (horrea), which were abandoned and buried in the 3rd century AD.

With the spread and establishment of Christianity as the official religion of the Empire, the area underwent a profound transformation, becoming the focal point of the community's religious life.

The tour begins in the entrance hall, dedicated to findings from archaeological excavations of ancient Iulia Concordia, and includes a multimedia station focused on the Via Annia.
Exiting the hall, visitors enter a large paved courtyard, which opens onto a burial ground containing several sarcophagi.

Continuing along the path, one arrives at the Trichora Martyrum, a sacred building with three apses, built to house the precious relics of the Holy Apostles.
Behind the trichora, the funerary chapel of Faustiniana—a woman of high rank—was erected in the 5th century.

Next to the courtyard lies the Basilica Apostolorum, a large religious building dedicated to the Apostles, with three naves and a mosaic floor.
Completing the complex is the quadriporticus, a space once used to welcome pilgrims and serve as the episcopal residence. The entire religious complex was destroyed by fire in the 6th century and later covered by flood deposits.

The visit concludes on the Annia, a crucial road for the city’s economy and communication with other important Roman-era centers such as Altinum and Aquileia.