Concordia Sagittaria
Concordia Sagittaria lies in the Veneto Orientale, right next to Portogruaro, on the banks of the Lemene river, and hides beneath...
Updated 12 July 2026
The story
The story of Concordia Sagittaria
History and origins
Iulia Concordia was founded as a Roman colony in 42 BC, in a strategic position along the Via Annia between Aquileia and the cities of Veneto, and soon became an important commercial and military centre, home among other things to an arms workshop. From the third century onward the city hosted an organised Christian community led by a priest, which between 381 and 389 AD began building a large basilica, the so-called Basilica Apostolorum, intended to house the relics of several saints. The building, reworked several times, was probably destroyed by a flood recorded by Paul the Deacon in his Historia Langobardorum around 589. The name Sagittaria was added to the town's name in the nineteenth century, referring to the ancient production of arrows, the sagittae, documented in the Roman city.
What to see, main places
The main archaeological site lies beneath and beside the cathedral, where the remains of the trichora martyrium can be seen, a three-apsed building constructed around 350 to house the relics of Concordia's martyrs, and of the later three-nave early Christian basilica, paved with geometric mosaics. The baptistery, built in 1168 by Bishop Reginpoto over the earlier excavations, faithfully repeats the architectural model of the ancient trichora and is one of the best-preserved medieval baptisteries in the Veneto Orientale. The Museo Civico Archeologico Nazionale Concordiese, housed in nearby Portogruaro, gathers finds from the excavations, including stelae, inscriptions, funerary urns and early Christian material from the territory, providing the context needed to understand the whole archaeological area.
Nature and surroundings
The Lemene river crosses the municipal territory with a slow, navigable course, historically important for the trade of the Roman city and today enjoyed for walks along its banks and short boat trips toward Portogruaro. The surrounding countryside, flat and cultivated, is typical of the Veneto Orientale, while the Adriatic coast at Bibione and Caorle is reachable in under thirty minutes by car, making Concordia Sagittaria a cultural stop easily fitted into a seaside stay.
Food and local produce
Local agriculture produces cereals, forage crops and vegetables typical of the Veneto Orientale plain, while proximity to Portogruaro and the Strada dei Vini del Lison offers the chance to pair the archaeological visit with a food and wine itinerary based on the wines of the Lison-Pramaggiore denomination, produced in the surrounding countryside.
Events and traditions
Concordia Sagittaria's calendar includes initiatives to promote its archaeological heritage, such as guided tours and European Heritage Days dedicated to the early Christian basilica, organised periodically in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and local associations. Alongside these cultural occasions, the town follows the calendar of patronal feasts and community initiatives typical of the province of Venice.
How to get there and location
Concordia Sagittaria lies immediately south of Portogruaro, about sixty kilometres from Venice and thirty from Pordenone, in a border area between Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia well served by the A4 motorway. The reference railway station is Portogruaro-Caorle, on the Venice-Trieste line, while the nearest airport is Venice. Its position along major road and rail routes makes it a convenient stop for travellers moving between Venice and Friuli.
Local life and economy
Concordia Sagittaria's economy combines plain agriculture with a residential role linked to nearby Portogruaro, along with a still-niche but growing cultural tourism sector, thanks to the progressive enhancement of the archaeological site. The shared management of this historical heritage with Portogruaro's museum institutions represents a model of collaboration between neighbouring municipalities typical of this part of the Veneto Orientale.
Experiences not to miss
- Visitare l'area archeologica della basilica paleocristiana sotto la cattedrale
- Visit the archaeological area of the early Christian basilica beneath the cathedral
To see
What to see in Concordia Sagittaria
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Routes in Concordia Sagittaria
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