During Roman times, the coastal town of Grado functioned as Aquileia’s seaport. Later, following the barbaric invasions of the Huns in 452 and the Lombards in 568, the patriarch of Aquileia was forced to flee to Grado, where the lagoons provided greater military protection.
Today, Grado is a popular resort, its beaches lined with high-rise hotels and seaside promenades. The town’s historic center is the Piazza dei Patriarchi, home to the 4th-century Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie and the 6th-century Basilica di Sant’Eufemia. As in nearby Aquileia, remnants of paleo-Christian mosaics may be seen throughout the town.
Across the bridge is the Isola della Schiusa, an oasis of calm where you can sit in the shade and watch the boats dock in the canal. Seafood restaurants abound in Grado, and the surrounding marshy lagoons reap plentiful fish, which are used in the town’s vinegar-laced signature dish, boreto alla Gradese.