The research conducted in recent years in Apulia enabled to gather a great and remarkable amount of data over the ‘end of villas’ and the features of the rural settlement during the Early Middle Age. The process of ‘deconstruction’ and sometimes ‘re-use’ of villas manifested itself in various ways: in some cases, the sites continued to represent landmarks, with a material and symbolic value, sometimes becoming the epicenter of new demic settlements, also in connection with the Christianisation of the countryside; in other cases, the contexts were no longer reoccupied. These operations had been traditionally interpreted as connected to marginal forms of re-occupation. In some cases, these forms of settlement grew in the same areas, yet developed a good level of material culture and crafting activities, beside agriculture and farming. Representatives of the new religious and laic élites and public authorities were recognized, as the sponsors of these activities. This article will make special reference to the case of Faragola, in northern Apulia, in the eighth century probably part of a large property of the Lombard Dukes of Benevento.
L’eredità delle ville in Puglia. Decostruzione, riusi e nuovi inizi
Giuliano Volpe
2025-01-01
Abstract
The research conducted in recent years in Apulia enabled to gather a great and remarkable amount of data over the ‘end of villas’ and the features of the rural settlement during the Early Middle Age. The process of ‘deconstruction’ and sometimes ‘re-use’ of villas manifested itself in various ways: in some cases, the sites continued to represent landmarks, with a material and symbolic value, sometimes becoming the epicenter of new demic settlements, also in connection with the Christianisation of the countryside; in other cases, the contexts were no longer reoccupied. These operations had been traditionally interpreted as connected to marginal forms of re-occupation. In some cases, these forms of settlement grew in the same areas, yet developed a good level of material culture and crafting activities, beside agriculture and farming. Representatives of the new religious and laic élites and public authorities were recognized, as the sponsors of these activities. This article will make special reference to the case of Faragola, in northern Apulia, in the eighth century probably part of a large property of the Lombard Dukes of Benevento.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
