Aquileia is a comune (municipality) in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy. It lies at the head of the Adriatic, at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 kilometres (6 mi) from the sea, on the river Natiso. The course of the Natiso has changed somewhat since the Roman era.
Its position near the coast and the lagoons of the upper Adriatic defines the settlement's setting in the lowland of the region. The town sits roughly 10 kilometres inland from the sea, on the river that has served as its watercourse since antiquity.