AQUILEIA

PATRIMONIO DELL'UMANITÀ

venerdì 29 marzo 2024

Mosaic floor of Südhalle

Particolare del pavimento in mosaico presso la Sudhalle ad Aquileia | Foto: © Gianluca Baronchelli
Although it was discovered over a hundred years ago, the Südhalle (south room) mosaic has been on public display only since 2011, in the specially built museum. The large mosaic has three separate sections. The two at the sides depict a lattice of alternating circles and mandorlas, with diamond shapes inside featuring geometric motifs. The design in the central section is based on octagons (containing animal figures, including a lamb) joined by an elaborate series of rhombi and parallelograms. After it ceased to fulfil its original function, the site of the now-destroyed Südhalle was used during the Middle Ages as a burial ground, as shown by the numerous tombs built in several places over the original mosaic floor.