Resti della Basilica della Corte

The remains of the Basilica della Corte lie within Piazza Biagio Marin in Grado. Surviving walls, mosaic fragments and sarcophagi preserve part of an early Christian complex beneath the modern square.

Why it matters

Alongside Grado's standing early Christian churches, the excavated basilica reveals a sacred landscape that changed over time. Successive rebuilding and eventual abandonment show that this religious quarter was not a fixed ensemble preserved unchanged from antiquity.

What to notice

The remains include geometric mosaic decoration and traces of the church's plan. Sarcophagi occupy the area before its former facade. White stone in the square's paving marks the outline of an octagonal baptistery with a semicircular apse, giving a visible form to a structure that no longer stands.

Context and history

The complex had early Christian origins and was abandoned between the eighth and ninth centuries. Investigations during the Austrian period preceded the exposure of remains in the early twentieth century. Their incorporation into the square places archaeological evidence within the later urban setting, connecting Grado's lost buildings with its surviving historic centre.