Location

The 7^th Food Structure & Functionality Symposium will take place at the Palazzo Regionale dei Congressi, Grado, Italy from 18-21 October 2026.

Grado, often called the “Island of the Sun”, is an elegant seaside town whose entire coastline faces south, offering kilometres of beaches that enjoy sunshine at any time of day thanks to a unique and favourable microclimate. Its iodine-rich air, shallow and family-friendly waters, and long-standing tradition of thalassotherapy make it a sought-after destination for wellbeing and relaxation.

The Venetian charm of the historic centre unfolds through a maze of narrow streets (calli) and small squares (campi), lined with picturesque fishermen’s houses and enriched by Roman archaeological remains. At its heart lies Campo dei Patriarchi, dominated by the Basilica di Santa Eufemia and the adjoining Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie, the oldest church in Grado.

Once part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, Grado became a favourite retreat of the Habsburg aristocracy, who visited the island from the 19th century onwards to enjoy its renowned Sea Spa, which is still known for its blend of health and beauty, the ideal place for regenerating and rejuvenating the mind and body.

Nowadays, Grado is features excellent beaches, a wide range of leisure facilities for adults and children, and a vibrant calendar of summer events. Its taverns offer culinary specialities from the lagoon and coastline alongside fine inland wines, while an extensive network of cycle paths invites visitors to explore the surrounding landscapes. The town is also the final stop of two of Europe’s most scenic cross-border cycling routes: the Alpe-Adria Cycle Route and the Adriabike Cycle Route.

Grado is a welcoming destination for travellers with disabilities and special needs, offering dedicated beach services, accessible walkways, suitable boat excursions on the lagoon, and inclusive nature areas and sports activities. https://friuliveneziagiuliapertutti.it/it/

Thanks to its strategic location and rich cultural and natural surroundings, Grado is also an excellent destination for meetings, conferences, and business events, offering flexible function spaces within accommodation facilities and proximity to important historic centres such as Palmanova and Aquileia.

What to see

Basilica of Sant’Eufemia

St. Euphemia’s Basilica, located in Grado’s charming Campo dei Patriarchi, is one of the most important early-Christian sites in the region. Around it stand the iconic bell tower with the Anzolo San Michele, the Baptistery, the Lapidarium, and the ancient Basilica of Our Lady of Graces.

Built between the 4th and 6th centuries and completed by Bishop Elia in 579, the basilica features a nave with two aisles, a striking apse fresco of Christ, a silver-gilt altarpiece, and an 11th-century pulpit decorated with symbols of the Evangelists. Its remarkable floor mosaics, rich in geometric Byzantine patterns, guide visitors through centuries of history and faith.

Basilica of Sant’Eufemia

Campo Patriarca Elia - 34073 Grado GO

Tel. +39 0431 80146

www.chiesagrado.org

[email protected]

Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie

The early-Christian Basilica Santa Maria delle Grazie overlooks the Campo dei Patriarchi near St. Euphemia's Basilica, in Grado's town centre. Dating back to about the 5th century, rebuilt in the 6th century, you can notice its two construction phases by looking at the floor mosaics, arranged on a double level. Among the various representations, you can see the only fish depicted in Grado.

Inside the Basilica you can admire the altar, the stoup and the wooden statue of Our Lady of Graces, venerated by Grado's population. The Basilica has a square structure, the interior is divided into a nave and two aisles separated by two rows of five columns of marble of different origins, its architecture is characterized by the soaring, vertical form of the nave.

Basilica Santa Maria delle Grazie Campo Patriarca Elia - 34073 Grado GO Tel. +39 0431 80146 www.chiesagrado.org [email protected]

Piazza Biagio Marin and "Basilica della Corte" remains

Piazza Biagio Marin, on the southern edge of Grado’s old town, is dedicated to the island’s famous poet, whose life and work were deeply tied to the sea and the culture of Venezia Giulia.

On the square stands the “House of Music”, one of Grado’s oldest buildings, now hosting exhibitions and cultural events. In front of it, the outline of the Early Christian baptistery marks the entrance to the archaeological area of the ancient Basilica della Corte, where mosaics, sarcophagi and early church remains can be viewed along modern glazed walkways. In the southwest corner once stood a Napoleonic blockhouse, later replaced by the “Pension Fortino”, linked to Viennese Secession artist Josef Maria Auchentaller, who contributed to Grado’s rise as a Central European seaside destination.

Sanctuary Beata Vergine Maria Barbana island

Barbana Island, located at the eastern edge of the Grado lagoon, is home to one of the region’s oldest Marian shrines. The first church was built in the 6th century after, according to tradition, a holy image of the Virgin was carried to the island by the sea during a storm. Patriarch Elia commissioned the sanctuary in gratitude for the Virgin’s protection. Today, a community of Franciscan Friars still resides there.

This peaceful, picturesque island has long been a place of pilgrimage. Since 1237, every first Sunday of July, the people of Grado reach Barbana in a colourful boat procession to renew their ancient vow to the Virgin.

Barbana is connected to Grado by a regular 25-minute boat service from the Schiusa Canal and can also be reached by private boats, thanks to its small harbour.

Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary Barbana Island - I - 34073 Grado GO Tel. +39 0431 80453 [email protected] https://grado.it/en/what-to-do/art-history-and-culture/the-city-and-the-historic-centre/island-of-barbana

Boat service: Società Motoscafisti Gradesi www.motoscafistigradesi.it Tel.: +39 0431 80115, overtime: +39 338 3171430 [email protected]

For more information and places to discover in Grado & around, visit: https://www.turismofvg.it/en/grado

Contact of Consorzio Grado Turismo Viale Dante Alighieri, 72 - 34073 Grado (GO) Tel. +39 0431 80383 Cell. +39 331 5499459 [email protected] https://grado.it/it

Accommodation

Further details about our accommodation options will be added soon.

Travel information

By car

Grado can be easily reached by car following the A4 Venice-Trieste motorway or the A23 Tarvisio-Venezia until the Palmanova exit and then continuing on the 352 road towards Grado for about 28 km. For those coming from Trieste, the recommended exit is Redipuglia-Monfalcone Ovest; then continue along the road junction SR14-SP19 until the junction with the SP19 Monfalcone-Grado.

Check the Autovie Venete website for real-time traffic on the motorway network.

By train

Grado is 22 km far from the Trieste Airport-Ronchi dei Legionari station and 19 km from the Cervignano-Aquileia-Grado station; frequent buses leave from both stations to reach Grado; for more information on train and bus schedules, consult the Trenitalia and TPL websites. From the Trieste Airport station it is easy to reach the main towns of Friuli and, thanks to the new multi-storey car park with a capacity of 500 cars and the street level car park with a total capacity of 1.000 cars, it is the ideal station for day trips to Venice. Frequent train connections also to Rome and Milan.

By plane

The nearest airport is the Trieste Airport, located 22 km from Grado. For more information on flights and all related services, please visit the website.

From Trieste Airport, you can use a TAXI service to get to Grado: Taxi Tel. +39 0481 778000 / +39 389 9681210 Availability 8.00 - 00.00 [email protected] www.taxitriesteairport.it

By bus

Many bus lines connect Grado with the main Italian and foreign cities; direct connections to Grado are available from Gorizia, Udine and Trieste. For further information, TPL (Local Public Transport) website https://tplfvg.it/