Basilica of the Tomb in Adria

❝Today, the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta embodies the noble origins of a lively river village, built near the ancient Roman lighthouse on the Adriatic. It sits in the historic centre of Adria, for which the Adriatic Sea was named because of the city’s rich mercantile traffic since ancient times. The church is called "della Tomba" (of the tomb) for its legendary construction on top of an ancient Roman cemetery.❞

The primitive Basilica of the Tomb, which dates back to the first centuries of the Christian era, is built on the remains of a pre-existing building linked to paganism, near to what archaeologists identified as the ancient river port of Adria. Its name derives from the discovery made here of the tomb of a famous Roman figure, Quinto Tizio Sertoriano, whose tombstone is now set in the bell tower. According to another hypothesis, the name is linked to the elevated area (ad tumulum) as compared to the areas surrounding the church.
The current Venetian-style bell tower, designed by the architect Giambattista Scarpari, was inaugurated in 1931 and stands on the site of the previous 14^th century bell tower. This medieval structure was, in fact, a lookout and command tower built, in turn, on the trunk of what tradition has was “the ancient Roman lighthouse” of the Adriatic. A plaque in Latin on the south wall of the plinth recalls the origin of the structure: “That which I once was - tower - and I guided the course of ships - I am still today - tower - rebuilt in 1931 - and with my guidance I indicate the Heavens to men - and with my voice I call those who must go to the Temple.”
In order to understand the historical importance of river navigation for Adria it was quite significant to discover the famous tombstone dated the 1st century AD and relating to the "Collegium nautarum" - the college of sailors, a sort of guild of sailors.
The interior of the basilica contains some valuable works of art: a baptistery dated 1472, consisting of an octagonal basin that incorporates a precious marble basin from the Roman era, and a 15^th century fresco depicting Mary of the Graces (Maria delle Grazie) while nursing the Child, known as the Nursing Madonna (Madonna del Latte). Then, within a recess at the base of the bell tower is a refined 15^th century terracotta representing the Dormitio Virginis. The current appearance of the Basilica is the result of various renovations and interventions made over the centuries, especially during the 18^th century and the first half of the 20^th century.