El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-06-12
SMALL FISHING
VILLAGE HOLDS
LOVE Of ITALY
Aquileia, Greatest Port of
Ancient Rome, Is Again
Held by Italians.
ANCIENT GRANDEUR
LONG HAS VANISHED
w TASHINGTON, D. c., June r.
Wv Aquileia, one Of the first towns
eanl1ral hu the Italians in

W WASHINGTON, D. C., June 12.-
wv Aquilela, one Of the first towns
captured by the Italians in
their storm across the Austrian borders
at the head Of the Adriatic, stands fore
most among the Austrian Italian speak
ing possessions in the sentimental at
tachment Of the patriotic sons OF Italy.
Why the Italian takes so deep an IN
terest in this decaying little frontier
village Is told in a statement on war
geography, prepared by the National
Geographic society. This statement
reads:
Once a Great Seaport.
@Aquileia situated six miles back from
the Adriatic sea, at the edge Of the Ia
gOons, in the Austrian province Of GOerL
and Gradisca, was once a great and
Furnishing seaport, at one time ranking
as the second city in Italy. 1t was,
in those days, one of the mightiest bull
warks of the Roman empire against the
pressing hOrdes Of outside barbarians,
CITY of proud walls and wide bespoken
splendor. As late as the end OF the
fourth century, AusOnius placed 1t ninth
on the list Of the great cities Of the
earth.
Nov Small flashing Village.
"TOday. Aquileia Is a mean, poverty
marked. dwindling fishing village, with
q lev AAAa4eaiAA lAlAaUAAaAAA1s Int WIN
derful structures Of its heYday have
served for centuries as stone quarries,
and nothing now remains Of their fabu
l0us spiendOr- AQuileia, regal city Of
the empire, and. later, great seaport and
industrial city, has vanished, IN all like
lihood, for good. There remains from
its golden DAYS merely a heterogeneous
mass Of relics, statues. mOsaics. columns,
friezes, from its parks and buildings;
lamps from its once famous factories:
besides many hOmely surviyals and
nieznacks.
''Triest, the great seaport Of today, is
about 25 miles distant, to the southwest.
All the marks Of the prosperity and im-
pOrtance of Aquileia have fled to Iriest,
IN the east, and to Venice, in the west.
The once busy harbor Is ehoked with silt
and drifting dunes, while RATS and fish.
ing boats are almost the only craft that
now thread the varying channels The
modern village, counting 2300 people,
Is unhealthy on account of its rice fields;
Is neglected and forgotten.
"Aqmeleia Is q grave of past achieve
ment, and much weathered mOnus
ment to the world Of the Roman age. Its
museum IS rich In trophies of Roman
times. and its ancient cathedral and the
remains OF the Patriarch's palace are its
most eloquent concrete memories Aqui-
lEAa- d - u4uEu OF the MOLLuELA anu
western coast of the Adriatic, Is a rich
field for archeologists and antiquarians
Destroyed by Attila.
~The city Is said to have been colon
lied by the Romans as a frontier for.
tress against the Celts in 1S3 B c. In
168 A. D.. Marcus Aurelius made It one
of the strongest fortified positions in
the empire. During Hadrian's reign, its
population reached the 500 600 mark.
Attila destroyed the city in 452 A D..
and It never recovered Its. greatness.
Aquileia was great and strong only
throughout its Roman history. when.
during its prime. it ranked Immediately
after the Eternal Citv. itself Its for
tunes were those of the Roman world;
and modern Italy, looking back over the
gulf Of centuries, feels itself. not only
the descendant, but also the heir OF
Latin Rome