Grado: A Guide to the City

 

Grado is a town in the north of Italy, located on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, ca. 10 km south of Aquileia, which is ca. 35 km south of Udine. To explain the location you can also say it is about halfway between Trieste in the east and Venice in the west.

Ezio Marocco has written a small but excellent guidebook about this place, which is published by Bruno Fachin Editore. It is available in four languages: Italian, English, German, and French.

The text is divided into two parts. The first part - “The History” – is divided into five brief sections, which cover the history of the town from antiquity until today.

The second part – “The Monuments” – is divided into more than twenty brief sections. The longest of these is devoted to the Cathedral or Basilica di S. Eufemia, which was consecrated on 3 November 579 by Elias, who was bishop of Grado 571-586.

Several sections are devoted to locations next to the Cathedral: The Baptistery - a small octagonal building - on the left side; the so-called Mausoleum and the so-called Salutatorium on the right side, as well as the Lapidarium behind it.

More than half of the book is devoted to these and other monuments in the historical centre, i.e. the western part of Grado. The rest of the book covers the new town (the eastern part of Grado) and the large lagoon surrounding Grado, including the island of Barbana.

The section about Biagio Marin (pp. 52-53) begins with the following statement:

“Someone has sharply written that Grado has two monumental treasures: the early Christian churches and Biagio Marin’s poetry.”

The famous poet was born in Grado in 1891. He lived and worked there for many years, and he died there in 1985. A monument dedicated to him was erected in Parco delle Rose in 1991 to mark the one hundred year anniversary of his birth.

This is a great book. It covers the historical background and presents the monuments one by one. The text is illustrated by excellent photos and helpful maps. Almost all illustrations are in colour.

The historical survey (pp. 5-9) concludes with the following words:

“Today Grado is one of the most famous and frequented Italian tourist resorts.”

Many visitors come for the beach, the long beach on the southern coast and the short beach on the western side of town. But this town has much more to offer than the beach, as you can see from this book. There are interesting monuments and sites to be explored: the Cathedral or Basilica di S. Eufemia stands a symbol of the ancient history, while the poet Biagio Marin is a symbol of the modern history.

Grado is worth a visit; and with Ezio Marocco’s guidebook in your hand, you will be able to make the most of your visit to this charming town on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.

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Ezio Marocco,

Grado: A Guide to the City: Town & Monuments,

Bruno Fachin Editore, 2000, 64 pages

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