A treasure trove of history, archaeology and architecture in the heart of Aquileia has been brought back to life and returned to the community.
Following a conservative restoration project, Palazzo Brunner-Segré, acquired in 1996 by the State Property Office (Ministry of Culture) and transferred to the Aquileia Foundation in 2019, was inaugurated during European Archaeology Days.
The historic building in Via Roma will be the new headquarters and offices of the Fondazione Aquileia. The second floor will house a conference room, while a second phase of the project will involve the enhancement of the outdoor area, which encompasses a portion of the ancient Roman amphitheatre, and the creation of a visitor route connecting the building to Via XXIV Maggio.

“The restoration of Palazzo Brunner-Segré,” comments Roberto Corciulo, president of the Aquileia Foundation, “is particularly significant because it is a valuable historic building that has been returned to the admiration of visitors. The restoration of the historic centre’s architectural heritage, which consists of remarkable examples of spontaneous architecture, and its use to serve our guests is one of the objectives of the Foundation, which in recent years has acquired several private properties in the basilica area that were no longer inhabited. The total cost of the work, amounting to €3,068,000, was financed to the tune of €3 million thanks to the Development and Cohesion Funds of the Ministry of Culture, which, thanks to the prompt interest of the Culture Department of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, we were able to divert towards the restoration of Palazzo Brunner-Segré'.

It took two years of work to complete the urban regeneration of the building, located along one of the main medieval roads, the district of Sant'Andrea or dei Calzolai. 


Inauguration of Palazzo Brunner-Segré | © B.Bilkic | Courtesy Fondazione Aquileia


“It was a complex project,” explains Cristiano Tiussi, director of the Aquileia Foundation, “because it involved a historic building in a very poor state of repair, which required special attention to overcome problems that arose during the work. In the initial phase, archaeological investigations were carried out, revealing the richness of the stratigraphic deposit, which remained uninterrupted from modern times to late antiquity. The work phases then proceeded smoothly. We will now continue with the restoration of the external area, which will necessarily take into account the presence of about a quarter of the amphitheatre: the aim is to uncover at least one preserved section of the foundations, to give an idea of the building's grandeur."

It was in 1812 that the Brunner complex first appeared in the Napoleonic land registry. Its construction is thought to date back to the 17th or 18th century. However, the main building was preceded by another building, dating back to the 14th-16th century, whose foundations were discovered during excavations conducted under the direction of the Superintendency in 2023, along with two “butti”, or rubbish pits, one of which was full of beautiful ceramics, glassware and everyday tableware.

It was purchased in 1923 by Gina Segré, future wife of Rodolfo Brunner. The Brunner couple soon established themselves as one of the great 19th-century families of Trieste, engaged in commercial and industrial activities ranging from shipping to insurance and oil refining. The palace was one of Gina Segré's country residences until 1947, when it was sold and, now uninhabited, passed from hand to hand until it was acquired by the State Property Office.

Beneath Palazzo Brunner-Segré lies approximately a quarter of the total area of the amphitheatre of Aquileia, preserved only at foundation level: the upper structure was dismantled over the centuries to obtain building material. The imposing foundation structures and wide drainage channels remain, sufficient to reconstruct the grandeur of the monument. Next to the building, around 300 AD, new city walls were built, a section of which was excavated in 2018-2020 by the Superintendency.