Promoting Euergetism through Inscriptions in Medieval Bari

Euergetism and its epigraphic promotion are recognized to have begun in the early Hellenistic period, later becoming a prominent feature of the Roman world (see Veyne 1990). The rise of Christianity has then shaped new actors (such as bishops) and produced new attitudes to this custom, originated from the necessity to adorn holy buildings and draw the divine favour. Several studies have shown the many facets of euergetism across different geographical and cultural contexts of Antiquity (see, e.g., Caillet 1993 and Zuiderhoek 2009), but this practice kept varying over space and time also in the Middle Ages. The present paper offers an investigation on the extant Medieval inscriptions from the city of Bari that promote euergetic activities. Texts celebrating the construction, dedication, and restoration of buildings will be considered, as well as those commemorating the production of specific architectural elements. The examples run from the 6th to the 13th century – a long period in which the city and the whole Apulia have been under control of several rulers (from Byzantines to Staufians), whose presence has also affected the epigraphic habits of the region (see Felle 2012 and Felle – Fioretti 2020). The paper will focus upon the identity of these euergetes, the way in which inscriptions promote their activities, and (when possible) their relationship with the archaeological contexts, aiming to fully appreciate the historical value of these initiatives.