Basilica paleocristiana di via Madonna del Mare

Archaeological site in Trieste with an early Christian basilica of the 5th–6th centuries on a Latin cross plan, and mosaic floors with donor inscriptions.

Opening hoursFree admission

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About the museum

The early Christian basilica of Via Madonna del Mare was discovered in 1963 during road works and was immediately investigated. It is a building on a Latin cross plan with a polygonal apse, built in two phases between the beginning of the 5th and the beginning of the 6th century.

The mosaic floor is the most remarkable part of the site. In the first phase it has geometric decorations in black and white; the second, only 6 centimetres higher, is enriched with polychrome motifs of pelta shields, double-headed braid and interlaced rhombuses. A distinctive feature of the later mosaic carpet is the presence of numerous inscriptions laid in tesserae: they record the names and professions of fourteen benefactors, together with the area of mosaic each one donated to the community.

Among the benefactors are people of senatorial rank and figures linked to the local economy, some of eastern origin. Some mosaic fragments, detached from their original location, are displayed on the walls of the site’s entrance.

Highlights

Latin cross basilica with polygonal apse, 5th–6th centuries
Two superimposed mosaic floors, geometric and polychrome
Mosaic inscriptions with the names and professions of fourteen benefactors
Detached mosaic fragments displayed at the entrance

Permanent exhibition

Basilica paleocristiana e mosaici pavimentali – The remains of the 5th–6th century basilica with the two superimposed mosaic floors and the benefactors’ inscriptions.

Operated by: Soprintendenza Archeologia, belle arti e paesaggio del Friuli Venezia Giulia
Visitors per year: approx. 828