Grégory Mainet is a graduate student of Lyon University, where he wrote a dissertation paper regarding Schola del Traiano architecture, in Ostia Antica (IV, V, 15-16). At present, he’s a PhD student at Liege University and Sapienza University and he’s studying Ostia’s urbanism. His doctoral thesis called « Divisis Angiportis et plateis constitutis. Developments and Uses of the Streets in Ostia » is supervised by Prof. Morard (ULg) and Prof. Palombi (La Sapienza) and he awarded an F.R.S.-FNRS Research Fellowship in 2016 as « Aspirant » to pursue his research. He has been working since 2010 on the « Schola del Traiano Project » supervised by Prof. Morard and he’s in charge of the studies regarding the construction and the maintenance of the buildings plotted in this Project. He is now contributing to the publication of the Domus a Peristilio and the Schola del Trainano. Moreover, he is taking part in some archaeological excavations in Italy – in Alba Fucens (Foggia University) or in Cività di Tricarico (Paris 1-Sorbonne University / Ecole française de Rome) – as well as in Croatia – in Loron (Centre Camille Jullian / Ecole Française de Rome). For more informations: http://web.philo.ulg.ac.be/shaaragr/liste-des-theses/ Address: Service d'Histoire de l'art et d'Archéologie gréco-romaine Quai Roosevelt (Bât. A4), 1b 4000 Liège Belgium
AD OSTIUM TIBERIS Proceedings of the Conference Ricerche Archeologiche alla Foce del Tevere (Rome – Ostia, December 2018, 18-20th), 2022
This book presents the results of the colloquium "Ricerche Archeologiche alla Foce del Tevere" wh... more This book presents the results of the colloquium "Ricerche Archeologiche alla Foce del Tevere" which was held on 18-20 December 2018 in Rome and Ostia. It provided young researchers with the opportunity to present their own research on ancient Ostia and the surrounding territory to the scientific community. The collection of papers presented here shows new evidence, new analysis tools, new approaches and new questions. The contributors have used the latest technologies and scrutinized archival records which are a valuable source of information that remain often unpublished. The scale and range of the analyses are impressive, from the molecular identification of pigments, to the remote-sensing study of broad swathes of the Ostian landscape. The chronological spread is also notable, from the late 6th-5th centuries BC to the 5th-early 6th centuries AD. These proceedings are divided into four parts showing broad-ranging subjects: the first part tackles Ostian urbanism and territory; the second building activities from designing to decorating; the third religion; and the fourth archaeological finds.
The streets played a key role in shaping the ancient economic townscape. Usually, we just conside... more The streets played a key role in shaping the ancient economic townscape. Usually, we just consider the street as a way for traffic, but this conception is presumably wrong as a reading of ancient authors like Martial or Juvenal suggests. The “space of the street” was built in three dimensions and was an important place for the social and economic interactions constituting the urban sociability during Antiquity. Such a function clearly appears in the architecture of the street shaped by numerous tabernae built within atrium houses, rows of shops or multi-storey buildings and by the activities which happened there. In other words, the economy of ancient cities was not confined to specific buildings such as macella. On the contrary, economic activities extended beyond the walls of such buildings and invaded the whole urban fabric along the streets. The papers of the panel “Ancient Streets and Urban Economy” intend to shed new light on the role of the space of the street in the urban economy in ancient societies between the 2nd century BC and the 3rd century AD in particular. To further our understanding, the different authors propose to examine some case studies such as Alba Fucens, Athens, Lugdunum, Norba, Ostia or Pompeii.
La reprise des fouilles d’Ostie au début du XXe s. est traditionnellement attribuée à Dante Vagli... more La reprise des fouilles d’Ostie au début du XXe s. est traditionnellement attribuée à Dante Vaglieri. Ce poncif de la littérature archéologique omet cependant le contexte dans lequel ces travaux s’inscrivent : la requalification de l’Agro Romano, puis la construction d’Ostia Nuova. Cet article démontre le rôle fondamental de l’aménagement du littoral romain, promu par le Comitato Pro Roma Marittima et son président, Paolo Orlando, dans le déroulement des excavations de la ville antique entre 1905 et 1923. Le prolongement de la via Ostiense jusqu’à la mer et le comblement du « Fiume Morto » furent déterminants dans la reprise des fouilles. La construction d’Ostia Nuova permit ensuite de poursuivre les excavations pendant la première guerre mondiale, puis durant l’après-guerre, alors que la trésorerie du royaume d’Italie était épuisée par l’effort de guerre. Ces liens entre fouilles archéologiques et travaux publics eurent des conséquences significatives sur l’exploration de la ville antique.
Ostia e Portus dalla Repubblica alla tarda antichità. Studi di archeologia e di storia urbana sui porti di Roma, 2023
The “western districts” of Ostia have been the subject of various works over the last two decades... more The “western districts” of Ostia have been the subject of various works over the last two decades and new projects are emerging. So far, however, no attempt has been made to understand the development of the urban form of this area between the 4th century BC and the beginning of the 2nd century AD. The present study offers a preliminary research on the formation of these districts and lays the foundations for a broader study of urban morphology. The documentation of the excavations carried out in the first half of the 20th century, which often remains unpublished, and the results of the more recent excavations carried out beneath the Tempio dei Fabri Navales (III, ii, 1-2) and the Schola del Traiano (IV, v, 15-16) form the basis of this enquiry.
Roman Street and Urban Economy, Proceedings of the 19th ICCA, Panel 8.12, 2021
The imperial streets of Ostia and Rome – as they appear on the severian Forma Urbis Romae – were... more The imperial streets of Ostia and Rome – as they appear on the severian Forma Urbis Romae – were edged by many shops, which shaped the streetscape of these cities. This situation is common in modern downtown, but it was not in Antiquity. In greek cities such as Priene or Olynthus, the space of the street is different : since there is few doorways in the buildings façades, the frontages are more simple and the buildings more segregated from the thoroughfares. We observe the same characteristics in some italian cities, like Norba, destroyed at the begining of the 1st century BC. The streetscape seems to change from the Late-Republic in Italy : at Ostia for instance, we observe late-republican tabernae along the Decumanus, under the Horrea of Hortensius. The progressive development of shops along urban thoroughfares shows evidence of the economic facilities offered by the space of the street, made up of building façades, roadway and street furnitures. This built framework hosts shopkeepers and their commercial activities, because it gave some market opportunities to them, just as a macellum, but far and wide throughout the city. So far, this architectural environment has been neglected in favor of the street network and the traffic. This paper would consider the evolution of the architecture of the streets in Italy, between the Mid-Republican time and the Severian period, and highlight the role played by the “street-as-market” in the organisation of urban economy.
Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories, Taylor and Francis Group, London, 2018
The Italian atrium houses are well-known from literary sources and Pompeii excavations. This form... more The Italian atrium houses are well-known from literary sources and Pompeii excavations. This form was typical of the late Republic and early Empire, but some of them were maintained over many centuries. Ostia is a good case study to investigate such maintenance during the mid-imperial period. Most of the atrium houses built at the mouth of the Tiber were broken down by that time, because the insulae became the common type of dwelling. However, a few householders preferred to preserve their old domus rather than construct new, more profitable dwellings. This paper discusses the case of two Augustan houses in the imperial urban fabric of Ostia, with a focus on the Domus a Peristilio (IV, V, 16). In fact, recent excavations highlighted many repairs and transformations that took place between the first century AD and the beginning of the third century AD.
Ostia Antica. Nouvelles études et recherches sur les quartiers occidentaux de la cité, Actes du colloque international (Roma, 22-24 septembre 2014), 2018
Trop souvent, les archéologues s’attachent seulement à l’étude d’une parcelle, sans chercher à co... more Trop souvent, les archéologues s’attachent seulement à l’étude d’une parcelle, sans chercher à comprendre comment celle-ci s’articule avec les fonds voisins. Pourtant, la construction d’un nouvel édifice au sein d’un tissu urbain aussi dense que celui d’Ostie ne peut pas être sans conséquence sur les édifices des parcelles alentours. Le cas du site de la Schola del Traiano en exemplaire à ce propos: l’étude des différents bâtiments construits sur cette parcelle tout au long de son histoire apporte de nouvelles données pour la compréhension des édifices périphériques, tandis que l’étude de ces derniers permet de mieux l’appréhender. Il ne s’agit pas ici d’une étude exhaustive de tous les édifices qui entourent cette parcelle, mais un zoom sur le Caseggiato delle Taberne Finestrate, qui a fait l’objet de mon mémoire de Master 2 soutenu en août 2013 à l'Université Lumière Lyon 2. L’étude menée sur ce bâtiment modeste, très peu présent dans la bibliographie, s’est articulée autour de trois points fondamentaux : l’étude des archives de la Surintendance, l’étude du bâti et l’analyse des données issues des fouilles conduites en 2010 dans l’enceinte de ce bâtiment. La combinaison de ces trois approches a permis de mettre en exergue l’existence de liens privilégiés entre le Caseggiato et la parcelle de la Schola del Traiano, liens qui donnent l’occasion d’avoir une nouvelle lecture de cette dernière.
Ostia Antica. Nouvelles études et recherches sur les quartiers occidentaux de la cité. Actes du colloque international (Roma, 22-24 septembre 2014), Forum Romanum Belgicum (publication online), 2018
Les fouille menées jusqu’au milieu du XXe siècle mirent en évidence de larges pans de villes roma... more Les fouille menées jusqu’au milieu du XXe siècle mirent en évidence de larges pans de villes romaines en Italie, comme Pompéi ou Ostie. Aujourd’hui, de telles excavations se révèleraient impossibles. En revanche, plusieurs approches non invasives permettent d’approfondir la réflexion sur l’histoire urbaine des cités antiques. Une relecture attentive de la documentation produite par la passé apporte des données souvent inédites, qui éclairent le discours des fouilleurs et donnent l’opportunité de revisiter leur interprétation. Quand aucune recherche archéologique n’a eu lieu, les prospections géophysiques (géoradar, magnétométrie…) permettent d’explorer le sous-sol sans l’excaver et de relever le plan des structures sous-jacentes. L’étude du paléoenvironnement offre aussi de précieuses données pour penser le développement des villes antiques, notamment quand elles se trouvent le long d’un fleuve. La rencontre organisée à Liège dans le cadre du projet Early Ostia Revisited réunira des spécialistes reconnus internationalement, afin de confronter ces différentes approches et mettre en évidence leurs apports respectifs, mais aussi leurs limites. L’intervention de géomaticiens permettra en outre de réfléchir au moyen le plus adapté de réunir ces données dans un Modèle Numérique de Terrain, afin de tirer le meilleur parti des résultats des différentes enquêtes non invasives et d’enrichir notre connaissance de l’histoire urbaine des villes romaines en Italie.
Giornata di studio organizzata presso l'Academia Belgica di Roma con il patrocino del Parco Arche... more Giornata di studio organizzata presso l'Academia Belgica di Roma con il patrocino del Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica. Questo incontro fa parte della ricerca svolta a Roma da Grégory Mainet (ULiège) tra gennaio e luglio 2022, grazie alla borsa di studio postdottorale AB-FNRS che ha vinta per il progetto "L'invenzione di Ostia nella prima metà del XX secolo. La disciplina archeologica di fronte alle sfide politiche, economiche e culturali del suo tempo".
Diversi eventi scientifici hanno messo in luce i più importanti protagonisti degli scavi di Ostia condotti nella prima metà del Novecento: Italo Gismondi nel 2007, Dante Vaglieri nel 2014 e Raïssa Calza nel 2019. Solo il marito di quest'ultima, Guido Calza, è rimasto in disparte. Tuttavia, è stato l'attore principale della storia di questo sito archeologico durante il periodo in esame. Arrivò all’Ufficio Scavi di Ostia nel 1912 come ispettore, sotto la direzione di Dante Vaglieri, e li lasciò solo nel 1946, pochi anni dopo la nomina a Soprintendente, per raggiungere il suo compianto maestro nel vicino cimitero di San Ercolano.
Questa giornata di studio cerca di colmare questa lacuna proponendo diverse riflessioni su questo archeologo, che ha lasciato per sempre il segno sul sito di Ostia. I vari contributi proposti durante questa giornata di studio cercheranno di mettere in luce la personalità di Guido Calza, attraverso le sue realizzazioni e la sua concezione dell'archeologia. Non è quindi tanto la storia di Ostia quanto la storia di un uomo e del suo tempo che questo incontro si propone di ripercorrere.
La giornata si concluderà con la presentazione del libro Ad Ostium Tiberis, proposto da Carlo Pavolini e Alessandro d'Alessio.
Ostia Antica è senza dubbio uno dei più grandi parchi archeologici d’Italia. Porto e porta di Rom... more Ostia Antica è senza dubbio uno dei più grandi parchi archeologici d’Italia. Porto e porta di Roma, questo sito è stato oggetto di scavi archeologici dall’inizio del XIX secolo. Nonostante questo interesse, i primi archeologi non cercarono di valorizzare le testimonianze riesumate. Nel corso degli scavi pontifici, ad esempio, gli studiosi hanno cercato principalmente parti di sculture per arricchire le collezioni dei musei romani. Fu solo con il Risorgimento e l’integrazione di Roma nel regno d’Italia che iniziarono i primi restauri e “sistemazioni”.
Da allora queste pratiche non si sono fermate e, ancora oggi, il Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica conduce regolarmente lavori per soddisfare le aspettative dei visitatori. La valorizzazione del sito archeologico è il risultato di scelte “museografiche” che variano a seconda del periodo. I lavori per l’Esposizione Universale di Roma ne sono un ottimo esempio e la scenografia scelta all’epoca influenza ancora oggi il paesaggio archeologico del sito, condizionando così la nostra comprensione delle rovine e della “realtà antica”.
Questa situazione pone numerosi problemi metodologici che si rivelano fondamentali nella pratica archeologica attuale e ai quali il workshop cercherà di rispondere: quali motivi hanno spinto gli archeologi a condurre questa o quella scelta per la valorizzazione del sito? Fino a che punto questi interventi restituiscono un quadro fedele di come era Ostia nell’antichità? Tali interventi potrebbero indurre degli errori nelle interpretazioni degli archeologi?
Ne discuteranno Enrico Rinaldi, autore di una tesi di dottorato dal titolo “Restauro e conservazione a Ostia Antica nella prima metà del Novecento”, Grégory Mainet, dottorando con un interesse particolare per la valorizzazione del patrimonio di Ostia, come parte della sua ricerca sulla rete stradale della città, e Mariarosaria Barbera, direttrice del Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.
AD OSTIUM TIBERIS Proceedings of the Conference Ricerche Archeologiche alla Foce del Tevere (Rome – Ostia, December 2018, 18-20th), 2022
This book presents the results of the colloquium "Ricerche Archeologiche alla Foce del Tevere" wh... more This book presents the results of the colloquium "Ricerche Archeologiche alla Foce del Tevere" which was held on 18-20 December 2018 in Rome and Ostia. It provided young researchers with the opportunity to present their own research on ancient Ostia and the surrounding territory to the scientific community. The collection of papers presented here shows new evidence, new analysis tools, new approaches and new questions. The contributors have used the latest technologies and scrutinized archival records which are a valuable source of information that remain often unpublished. The scale and range of the analyses are impressive, from the molecular identification of pigments, to the remote-sensing study of broad swathes of the Ostian landscape. The chronological spread is also notable, from the late 6th-5th centuries BC to the 5th-early 6th centuries AD. These proceedings are divided into four parts showing broad-ranging subjects: the first part tackles Ostian urbanism and territory; the second building activities from designing to decorating; the third religion; and the fourth archaeological finds.
The streets played a key role in shaping the ancient economic townscape. Usually, we just conside... more The streets played a key role in shaping the ancient economic townscape. Usually, we just consider the street as a way for traffic, but this conception is presumably wrong as a reading of ancient authors like Martial or Juvenal suggests. The “space of the street” was built in three dimensions and was an important place for the social and economic interactions constituting the urban sociability during Antiquity. Such a function clearly appears in the architecture of the street shaped by numerous tabernae built within atrium houses, rows of shops or multi-storey buildings and by the activities which happened there. In other words, the economy of ancient cities was not confined to specific buildings such as macella. On the contrary, economic activities extended beyond the walls of such buildings and invaded the whole urban fabric along the streets. The papers of the panel “Ancient Streets and Urban Economy” intend to shed new light on the role of the space of the street in the urban economy in ancient societies between the 2nd century BC and the 3rd century AD in particular. To further our understanding, the different authors propose to examine some case studies such as Alba Fucens, Athens, Lugdunum, Norba, Ostia or Pompeii.
La reprise des fouilles d’Ostie au début du XXe s. est traditionnellement attribuée à Dante Vagli... more La reprise des fouilles d’Ostie au début du XXe s. est traditionnellement attribuée à Dante Vaglieri. Ce poncif de la littérature archéologique omet cependant le contexte dans lequel ces travaux s’inscrivent : la requalification de l’Agro Romano, puis la construction d’Ostia Nuova. Cet article démontre le rôle fondamental de l’aménagement du littoral romain, promu par le Comitato Pro Roma Marittima et son président, Paolo Orlando, dans le déroulement des excavations de la ville antique entre 1905 et 1923. Le prolongement de la via Ostiense jusqu’à la mer et le comblement du « Fiume Morto » furent déterminants dans la reprise des fouilles. La construction d’Ostia Nuova permit ensuite de poursuivre les excavations pendant la première guerre mondiale, puis durant l’après-guerre, alors que la trésorerie du royaume d’Italie était épuisée par l’effort de guerre. Ces liens entre fouilles archéologiques et travaux publics eurent des conséquences significatives sur l’exploration de la ville antique.
Ostia e Portus dalla Repubblica alla tarda antichità. Studi di archeologia e di storia urbana sui porti di Roma, 2023
The “western districts” of Ostia have been the subject of various works over the last two decades... more The “western districts” of Ostia have been the subject of various works over the last two decades and new projects are emerging. So far, however, no attempt has been made to understand the development of the urban form of this area between the 4th century BC and the beginning of the 2nd century AD. The present study offers a preliminary research on the formation of these districts and lays the foundations for a broader study of urban morphology. The documentation of the excavations carried out in the first half of the 20th century, which often remains unpublished, and the results of the more recent excavations carried out beneath the Tempio dei Fabri Navales (III, ii, 1-2) and the Schola del Traiano (IV, v, 15-16) form the basis of this enquiry.
Roman Street and Urban Economy, Proceedings of the 19th ICCA, Panel 8.12, 2021
The imperial streets of Ostia and Rome – as they appear on the severian Forma Urbis Romae – were... more The imperial streets of Ostia and Rome – as they appear on the severian Forma Urbis Romae – were edged by many shops, which shaped the streetscape of these cities. This situation is common in modern downtown, but it was not in Antiquity. In greek cities such as Priene or Olynthus, the space of the street is different : since there is few doorways in the buildings façades, the frontages are more simple and the buildings more segregated from the thoroughfares. We observe the same characteristics in some italian cities, like Norba, destroyed at the begining of the 1st century BC. The streetscape seems to change from the Late-Republic in Italy : at Ostia for instance, we observe late-republican tabernae along the Decumanus, under the Horrea of Hortensius. The progressive development of shops along urban thoroughfares shows evidence of the economic facilities offered by the space of the street, made up of building façades, roadway and street furnitures. This built framework hosts shopkeepers and their commercial activities, because it gave some market opportunities to them, just as a macellum, but far and wide throughout the city. So far, this architectural environment has been neglected in favor of the street network and the traffic. This paper would consider the evolution of the architecture of the streets in Italy, between the Mid-Republican time and the Severian period, and highlight the role played by the “street-as-market” in the organisation of urban economy.
Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories, Taylor and Francis Group, London, 2018
The Italian atrium houses are well-known from literary sources and Pompeii excavations. This form... more The Italian atrium houses are well-known from literary sources and Pompeii excavations. This form was typical of the late Republic and early Empire, but some of them were maintained over many centuries. Ostia is a good case study to investigate such maintenance during the mid-imperial period. Most of the atrium houses built at the mouth of the Tiber were broken down by that time, because the insulae became the common type of dwelling. However, a few householders preferred to preserve their old domus rather than construct new, more profitable dwellings. This paper discusses the case of two Augustan houses in the imperial urban fabric of Ostia, with a focus on the Domus a Peristilio (IV, V, 16). In fact, recent excavations highlighted many repairs and transformations that took place between the first century AD and the beginning of the third century AD.
Ostia Antica. Nouvelles études et recherches sur les quartiers occidentaux de la cité, Actes du colloque international (Roma, 22-24 septembre 2014), 2018
Trop souvent, les archéologues s’attachent seulement à l’étude d’une parcelle, sans chercher à co... more Trop souvent, les archéologues s’attachent seulement à l’étude d’une parcelle, sans chercher à comprendre comment celle-ci s’articule avec les fonds voisins. Pourtant, la construction d’un nouvel édifice au sein d’un tissu urbain aussi dense que celui d’Ostie ne peut pas être sans conséquence sur les édifices des parcelles alentours. Le cas du site de la Schola del Traiano en exemplaire à ce propos: l’étude des différents bâtiments construits sur cette parcelle tout au long de son histoire apporte de nouvelles données pour la compréhension des édifices périphériques, tandis que l’étude de ces derniers permet de mieux l’appréhender. Il ne s’agit pas ici d’une étude exhaustive de tous les édifices qui entourent cette parcelle, mais un zoom sur le Caseggiato delle Taberne Finestrate, qui a fait l’objet de mon mémoire de Master 2 soutenu en août 2013 à l'Université Lumière Lyon 2. L’étude menée sur ce bâtiment modeste, très peu présent dans la bibliographie, s’est articulée autour de trois points fondamentaux : l’étude des archives de la Surintendance, l’étude du bâti et l’analyse des données issues des fouilles conduites en 2010 dans l’enceinte de ce bâtiment. La combinaison de ces trois approches a permis de mettre en exergue l’existence de liens privilégiés entre le Caseggiato et la parcelle de la Schola del Traiano, liens qui donnent l’occasion d’avoir une nouvelle lecture de cette dernière.
Ostia Antica. Nouvelles études et recherches sur les quartiers occidentaux de la cité. Actes du colloque international (Roma, 22-24 septembre 2014), Forum Romanum Belgicum (publication online), 2018
Les fouille menées jusqu’au milieu du XXe siècle mirent en évidence de larges pans de villes roma... more Les fouille menées jusqu’au milieu du XXe siècle mirent en évidence de larges pans de villes romaines en Italie, comme Pompéi ou Ostie. Aujourd’hui, de telles excavations se révèleraient impossibles. En revanche, plusieurs approches non invasives permettent d’approfondir la réflexion sur l’histoire urbaine des cités antiques. Une relecture attentive de la documentation produite par la passé apporte des données souvent inédites, qui éclairent le discours des fouilleurs et donnent l’opportunité de revisiter leur interprétation. Quand aucune recherche archéologique n’a eu lieu, les prospections géophysiques (géoradar, magnétométrie…) permettent d’explorer le sous-sol sans l’excaver et de relever le plan des structures sous-jacentes. L’étude du paléoenvironnement offre aussi de précieuses données pour penser le développement des villes antiques, notamment quand elles se trouvent le long d’un fleuve. La rencontre organisée à Liège dans le cadre du projet Early Ostia Revisited réunira des spécialistes reconnus internationalement, afin de confronter ces différentes approches et mettre en évidence leurs apports respectifs, mais aussi leurs limites. L’intervention de géomaticiens permettra en outre de réfléchir au moyen le plus adapté de réunir ces données dans un Modèle Numérique de Terrain, afin de tirer le meilleur parti des résultats des différentes enquêtes non invasives et d’enrichir notre connaissance de l’histoire urbaine des villes romaines en Italie.
Giornata di studio organizzata presso l'Academia Belgica di Roma con il patrocino del Parco Arche... more Giornata di studio organizzata presso l'Academia Belgica di Roma con il patrocino del Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica. Questo incontro fa parte della ricerca svolta a Roma da Grégory Mainet (ULiège) tra gennaio e luglio 2022, grazie alla borsa di studio postdottorale AB-FNRS che ha vinta per il progetto "L'invenzione di Ostia nella prima metà del XX secolo. La disciplina archeologica di fronte alle sfide politiche, economiche e culturali del suo tempo".
Diversi eventi scientifici hanno messo in luce i più importanti protagonisti degli scavi di Ostia condotti nella prima metà del Novecento: Italo Gismondi nel 2007, Dante Vaglieri nel 2014 e Raïssa Calza nel 2019. Solo il marito di quest'ultima, Guido Calza, è rimasto in disparte. Tuttavia, è stato l'attore principale della storia di questo sito archeologico durante il periodo in esame. Arrivò all’Ufficio Scavi di Ostia nel 1912 come ispettore, sotto la direzione di Dante Vaglieri, e li lasciò solo nel 1946, pochi anni dopo la nomina a Soprintendente, per raggiungere il suo compianto maestro nel vicino cimitero di San Ercolano.
Questa giornata di studio cerca di colmare questa lacuna proponendo diverse riflessioni su questo archeologo, che ha lasciato per sempre il segno sul sito di Ostia. I vari contributi proposti durante questa giornata di studio cercheranno di mettere in luce la personalità di Guido Calza, attraverso le sue realizzazioni e la sua concezione dell'archeologia. Non è quindi tanto la storia di Ostia quanto la storia di un uomo e del suo tempo che questo incontro si propone di ripercorrere.
La giornata si concluderà con la presentazione del libro Ad Ostium Tiberis, proposto da Carlo Pavolini e Alessandro d'Alessio.
Ostia Antica è senza dubbio uno dei più grandi parchi archeologici d’Italia. Porto e porta di Rom... more Ostia Antica è senza dubbio uno dei più grandi parchi archeologici d’Italia. Porto e porta di Roma, questo sito è stato oggetto di scavi archeologici dall’inizio del XIX secolo. Nonostante questo interesse, i primi archeologi non cercarono di valorizzare le testimonianze riesumate. Nel corso degli scavi pontifici, ad esempio, gli studiosi hanno cercato principalmente parti di sculture per arricchire le collezioni dei musei romani. Fu solo con il Risorgimento e l’integrazione di Roma nel regno d’Italia che iniziarono i primi restauri e “sistemazioni”.
Da allora queste pratiche non si sono fermate e, ancora oggi, il Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica conduce regolarmente lavori per soddisfare le aspettative dei visitatori. La valorizzazione del sito archeologico è il risultato di scelte “museografiche” che variano a seconda del periodo. I lavori per l’Esposizione Universale di Roma ne sono un ottimo esempio e la scenografia scelta all’epoca influenza ancora oggi il paesaggio archeologico del sito, condizionando così la nostra comprensione delle rovine e della “realtà antica”.
Questa situazione pone numerosi problemi metodologici che si rivelano fondamentali nella pratica archeologica attuale e ai quali il workshop cercherà di rispondere: quali motivi hanno spinto gli archeologi a condurre questa o quella scelta per la valorizzazione del sito? Fino a che punto questi interventi restituiscono un quadro fedele di come era Ostia nell’antichità? Tali interventi potrebbero indurre degli errori nelle interpretazioni degli archeologi?
Ne discuteranno Enrico Rinaldi, autore di una tesi di dottorato dal titolo “Restauro e conservazione a Ostia Antica nella prima metà del Novecento”, Grégory Mainet, dottorando con un interesse particolare per la valorizzazione del patrimonio di Ostia, come parte della sua ricerca sulla rete stradale della città, e Mariarosaria Barbera, direttrice del Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.
Il primo incontro internazionale per dottorandi e giovani dottori di ricerca dal titolo “Ricerche... more Il primo incontro internazionale per dottorandi e giovani dottori di ricerca dal titolo “Ricerche Archeologiche alla Foce del Tevere” avrà luogo nelle giornate del 18, 19 e 20 dicembre 2018 a Roma. Lo scopo di questo convegno è quello di presentare le nuove ricerche in corso che hanno come argomento il Tevere e la sua foce ed in particolare la città di Ostia.
Il programma focalizzerà l’attenzione soprattutto sui nuovi approcci e le metodologie di ricerca usati per lo studio di questi territori. In quest’ottica ogni relatore avrà l’occasione di presentare le sue ricerche ad un ampio pubblico di specialisti e di confrontarsi con la comunità scientifica che da anni si occupa di questi territori.
Questo convegno avrà luogo al Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica, all’Academia Belgica di Roma e alla Sapienza, Università di Roma, con il supporto dell’Université de Liège (UR " Art, Archéologie, Patrimoine, Service d'Histoire de l'Art et d'Archéologie de l'Antiquité gréco-romaine) e dell’Istituto Storico Belga di Roma. L’incontro è inoltre sponsorizzato dall’Unione Internazionale degli Istituti di Archeologia, Storia e Storia dell'arte in Roma.
19th International Congress of Classical Archaeology. Panel 8.12. Roman Streets and Urban Economy. Bonn, Germany, 2018
Among the urban infrastructures which shaped the economy, the street played a major role in ancie... more Among the urban infrastructures which shaped the economy, the street played a major role in ancient cities because it contributed to durably structure the urban fabric. The “street-as-market” has often been overlooked by archaeologists so far, but this topic naturally finds its place within the 19th congress of the International Association for Classical Archaeology whose theme is the economy of the classical world.
First of all, how do we consider the street? As a simple way for traffic? No, we do not. This conception is wrong as a reading of ancient authors such as Martial or Juvenal suggests. The space of the street was built in three dimensions and was developed to answer the needs of the local inhabitants. Indeed, it was a place for important social and economic interactions constituting the urban sociability. The economic function of the street clearly appeared in its architecture which was shaped by the construction of numerous tabernae within the so-called insulae and by the promotion of the activities (advertising) which happened there. In other words, the Roman cities economy was not confined to specific buildings such as macella. On the contrary, it was incorporated across the urban fabric, along the streets.
With this panel, we offer to shed a new light to the role of the street within the urban economies across the Roman Dominion between the 2nd century B.C.E. and the 3rd century A.C.E. Is the economic role of the streets the same across the whole empire? What about the cities where people were settled before Rome’s arrival? On the contrary, what about all those ones which were founded by the Romans? Did Rome and the Eastern Roman cities inherit their characteristics from Hellenistic cities? Or was the Roman model born in Italy?
This issue is wide, contrary to the sources at our disposal. To further our understanding, we would like to develop two approaches built on precise archaeological cases, chosen within different periods: a) the qualitative study of the development of some streets well-known thanks to extensive excavations such as Via dell’Abbondanza in Pompei or the Main Street of the Theatre District in Delos. b) the quantitative study of the distribution of economic functions along the network and the interactions between them thanks to non-invasive investigations.
Investigations non invasives et histoire urbaine en Italie romaine, 2022
Ostie fait l’objet de fouilles archéologiques depuis plus de deux siècles. Durant cette période, ... more Ostie fait l’objet de fouilles archéologiques depuis plus de deux siècles. Durant cette période, les archéologues qui se succédèrent à la tête de l’Ufficio Scavi documentèrent leurs activités pour répondre à des impératifs administratifs et scientifiques. Cette documentation est plus ou moins abondante en fonction des époques et l’intérêt scientifique des documents produits varie fortement en fonction des archéologues qui les produisirent. Par documentation, nous entendons à la fois les documents produits lors des fouilles et les publications analytiques qui les suivirent, comme les comptes-rendus publiés dans les Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, revue fondamentale dans la diffusion des découvertes archéologique en Italie au cours de la période considérée. La nature de ces documents reflète par ailleurs la pratique archéologique de l’époque : l’exploitation de ces sources nécessite de contextualiser leur production au sein de l’histoire de l’archéologie italienne. Comme à Rome, l’étude de la topographie urbaine connaît un développement notable à Ostie à partir de la seconde moitié du XIXe siècle, et plus particulièrement à partir de l’intégration de Rome au Royaume d’Italie.
Les fouilles menées sous Pie IX par P.E. et C.L Visconti témoignent d’un premier intérêt pour la topographie ostienne. Cependant, ce sont P. Rosa et R. Lanciani qui firent entrée le port de Rome dans l’ère des études topographiques dans les années 1870-1890. La documentation la plus intéressante est sans conteste celle produite par Lanciani, conservée à la Biblioteca di Archeologia e Storia dell’Arte. L’arrivée de D. Vaglieri à la direction des fouilles en 1908 marqua une nouvelle phase dans la pratique archéologique (1908-24). L’archéologue chercha non seulement à clarifier la topographie urbaine, mais aussi à comprendre l’évolution diachronique de la ville, en ouvrant des sondages là où le contexte de conservation le permettait. Dans le même temps, la documentation scientifique des travaux devient plus abondante et plus précise grâce au renforcement des infrastructures scientifiques à Ostie : des journaux de fouilles furent rédigés par le soprastante R. Finelli ; des plans et des sections dessinés par I. Gismondi ; de nombreuses photographies prises par les différents responsables scientifiques ; et des rapports exhaustifs publiés régulièrement dans les Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità. La documentation de cette période offre une matière abondante, qu’il faut toutefois examiner avec un regard critique. La direction de G. Calza au cours des deux décennies suivantes marqua un retour en arrière notable. Les fouilles menées dans le cadre de l’Exposition Universelle de Rome, prévue en 1942, constituent l’anti-modèle par excellence et apparaît comme tel dans les manuels retraçant l’histoire de l’archéologie italienne. La documentation produite alors est très pauvre. Ces fouilles furent complétées après la guerre. D’une part, une vaste campagne de sondages – plus de 500 ! – menée par Gismondi chercha à éclairer les phases les plus anciennes d’Ostie, en vue de la publication de la Topografia generale. La documentation produite à cette occasion est particulièrement précieuse pour étudier les phases urbaines précédents le IIe s. apr. J.-C. D’autre part, les cantieri scuole, mis en place au lendemain de la guerre pour former des chômeurs, achevèrent l’excavation et la restauration des zones qui n’avaient pas été complètement dégagées lors des travaux de l’EUR, en particulier la zone du Serapeum. La méthode reste voisine de celle employées en 1938-41, mais la documentation est plus soignée. Enfin, les fouilles menées dans les années 60-70 par la Surintendance, notamment par F. Zevi, se démarquent par la mise en place progressive de la méthode stratigraphique. Ces travaux, qui furent souvent réalisés à l’occasion de la restauration des pavements, sont contemporains des fouilles des Terme del Nuotatore, qui marquèrent un tournant majeur dans l’histoire des fouilles d’Ostie.
Notre exposé présentera les cinq grandes phases évoquées précédemment, qui ponctuèrent la recherche archéologique entre 1870 et 1970 : quels étaient les objectifs des archéologues ? Quels étaient les moyens à leur disposition ? Comment documentèrent-ils leur travail ? Comme nous le verrons, l’ensemble documentaire dont nous avons hérité est très hétéroclite. Nous chercherons par conséquent à rendre compte des caractéristiques de la documentation de chaque période, afin de mettre en évidence les apports potentiels d’une relecture systématiques des archives à la compréhension de l’histoire urbaine d’Ostie et les limites. En effet, dans quelle mesure peut-on se fier à ces sources ? Les documents produits au cours d’une même phase sont-ils cohérents entre eux ? Qu’en est-il des documents produits à différentes époques ? Notre réflexion se basera sur différents exemples, qui permettent de considérer sous un regard nouveau certains épisodes de l’histoire urbaine d’Ostie depuis sa fondation, à l’époque médio-républicaine, jusqu’à son abandon, au cours de l’antiquité tardive.
The history of the archaeology of Ostia Antica is dominated by the massive, hurried excavations c... more The history of the archaeology of Ostia Antica is dominated by the massive, hurried excavations carried out in the years 1938-41 in anticipation of the Universal Exhibition in Rome, and by the paucity of documentation related to this period. By contrast, if we examine the Ostian archives of excavations from the first two decades of the 20th century, we can uncover documentation of exceptional quality. This period begins with Vaglieri's arrival as director of excavations and continues through Calza’s appointment to that same position. These archives consist of “extremely accurate” excavation journals and fortnightly reports compiled by the soprastante Finelli, plans and sections executed by draughtsmen Gatti and Gismondi, and photographs taken by the scientific staff of the Excavation Office. Unfortunately, these archives have been overlooked by many archaeologists.
The documents in question are dispersed throughout the various archives of the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica (the Historical Archives, the Photographic Archives and the Drawing Archives), so that the scholar who studies them must reconnect the missing links between them. The archaeological and epigraphic evidence was published at the time of the excavations, but in a partial way, so that many of the discoveries and results remain unknown to this day. Although these archival materials present invaluable resources for the modern archaeologist, they cannot be studied without critical evaluation. The present contribution focuses on two key aspects of this critical approach:
(a) The historical context in which the excavations and documentation were carried out. Over the course of twenty years, the quality of the documentation fluctuates with current events. Archaeologists usually believe that the passing of Dante Vaglieri in December 1913 marked a turning point in the way that the excavation was documented. The situation turns out to be more complex in light of the larger historical context. Two events were as important as Vaglieri's death in determining the course of the archaeological excavations at the mouth of the Tiber: the outbreak of World War I and the construction of Ostia Nuova (modern Lido di Ostia). By comparing the excavation journals with the correspondence preserved in various Roman archives (Central State Archives, State Archives of Rome, Capitoline Historical Archives) it appears that these other events also had real consequences on the excavation and the documentation;
(b) the data delivered in excavation journals: descriptions, personal observations, publications. Despite the quality of the documentation in question, the scientific criteria of the time do not correspond at all to those of today. I will focus on the excavation journals written by Finelli, which represent an indispensable source. I will first define the distinction between descriptions and personal observations, which do not have the same value for today's archaeologist. Next, I will show the importance for him of reconstructing the links between written and visual documentation (drawings and photos). Finally, I will compare excerpts from the unpublished excavation journals with excerpts from the published notes in Notizie degli Scavi in order to highlight the existence of discrepancies between documentation and publication. To illustrate this second point, I will present a case study from my doctoral thesis, which is currently being published: the eastern section of the decumanus. This example highlights the contribution and limitations of the documentation under consideration, as well as the need to study and publish all available evidence.
DA ROMA AL MARE. Politica, archeologia, urbanistica (1900-1945), 2021
All’inizio del Novecento, la città antica di Ostia era poco conosciuta, perché i fondi pubblici d... more All’inizio del Novecento, la città antica di Ostia era poco conosciuta, perché i fondi pubblici destinati agli scavi erano pochissimi: a quell’epoca, l’attenzione era focalizzata sugli scavi di Pompei e del Foro Romano. Ostia era trascurata dal mondo scientifico e dal Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione fino all’arrivo di Vaglieri alla direzione degli scavi (1907-1913). I primi lavori eseguiti sotto la sua direzione rimasero però limitati, perché i fondi rimanevano insufficienti. Nello stesso periodo, il Ministero dei Lavori Pubblici cercava di ultimare la bonifica dell’agro romano, quella del Fiume Morto in particolare, in previsione del progetto di sviluppo marittimo di Roma promosso dal comitato Pro Roma Marittima diretto dall’Ing. Paolo Orlando, che cercava di costruire alla foce del Tevere un porto marittimo per la capitale del regno d’Italia. A tale scopo, i promotori del progetto facevano riferimento alla storia antica di Ostia e Roma, che fungeva da modello nel loro discorso di promozione presso il mondo politico. Ne risultò una prima convenzione tra il Ministero dei Lavori Pubblici e quello della Pubblica Istruzione finalizzata a scavare Ostia e colmare Fiume Morto. Una nuova convenzione fu attuata dal Paribeni a gennaio 1915 nel contesto della sistemazione dell’area di Ostia Nuova che l’entrata in guerra il 24 maggio non interruppe. In breve, la città antica di Ostia e gli scavi eseguiti negli anni 1908-1924 ebbero un ruolo non trascurabile nello sviluppo del progetto di nuovo porto di Roma sia nel discorso dei promotori, sia nell’andamento dei lavori e tale ruolo ebbe dialetticamente conseguenze notevole sullo scavo. Il mio contributo cercherà di evidenziare questo ruolo a partire dalla documentazione conservata presso l’Archivio Centrale dello Stato di Roma e dai testi redatti da Paolo Orlando.
Le tronçon occidental du decumanus et les quartiers qu’il traverse, tels que nous pouvons les obs... more Le tronçon occidental du decumanus et les quartiers qu’il traverse, tels que nous pouvons les observer aujourd’hui, offrent un paysage profondément marqué par les remaniements et les restaurations réalisés à la suite des fouilles menées par Guido Calza en 1938-1942. Ces travaux participent de la mise en scène déployée alors pour répondre à l’idéologie impérialiste du régime de Mussolini, qui cherchait à mettre en évidence « l’âge d’or » de la première colonie de Rome, qu’on attribuait au IIe siècle après J.-C. Cependant, une telle scénographie dissimule au regard profane la complexité de l’évolution du tissu urbain d’Ostie.
A ce jour, seul l’espace didactique aménagé en contre-bas de la Domus sul decumano (III, II, 3) témoigne de cette complexité. Ce sondage, réalisé après la seconde guerre mondiale par Italo Gismondi, montre que ces « quartiers » connurent plusieurs phases majeures depuis sa création durant l’époque républicaine. Ces phases apparaissent clairement au travers des rehaussements successifs du decumanus et de l’élévation progressive du niveau des édifices périphériques. Ces rehaussements de niveaux s’accompagnèrent d’un élargissement continu de cette rue, qui eut des répercussions sensibles sur le tissu urbain de ce secteur. De même, ces transformations affectèrent les voies qui débouchaient sur cet axe, comme le Cardo degli Aurighi.
Jusqu’à présent, les problématiques liées aux rehaussements des niveaux ont été principalement envisagées sur telle ou telle parcelle. Cette approche présuppose que la stratigraphie d’une seule parcelle reflète exactement la stratigraphie du tissu urbain environnant. Ma communication se propose d’éclaircir ces problématiques en évitant ce biais méthodologique. Dans ce dessein, cette réflexion se focalisera sur l’espace de la rue et se nourrira des données récoltées depuis 1938. Ces pièces à conviction comprennent la documentation des fouilles anciennes conservée au Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica et à l’Archivio Centrale dello Stato, ainsi que les résultats de fouilles récentes, en particulier ceux des investigations menées dans le Tempio dei Fabri Navales (III, II, 1-2), la Schola del Traiano (IV, V, 15-16), ainsi que son annexe, le Caseggiato delle Taberne Finestrate (IV, V, 18).
Cette documentation me permettra en premier lieu de restituer le paysage archéologique tel qu’il se présentait avant les remaniements réalisés en 1938-42. Ensuite, je mettrai en évidence l’évolution du tissu urbain de ces « quartiers » entre le Ier siècle avant et le IIIe siècle après J.-C. en prenant les rehaussements du decumanus comme fil conducteur. Toutefois, les transformations de cet espace ne peuvent être comprises isolément des édifices avec lesquelles il interagit. J’illustrerai le lien étroit entre ces composantes de la trame urbaine en présentant notamment une coupe longitudinale des parcelles de la Schola del Traiano et du Tempio dei Fabri Navales (III, II, 1-2), située l’une en face de l’autre de part et d’autre du decumanus. Cette approche dialectique entre le système viaire et le cadre bâti, inédite à Ostie, apportera un jour nouveau sur ce secteur de la cité et constituera un nouveau jalon dans notre connaissance de ces « quartiers » après la publication des actes du colloque qui s’est tenu à l’Academia Belgica en 2014.
La rue au fil du temps. L’exemple du decumanus occidental à Ostie
Le tronçon occidental du decum... more La rue au fil du temps. L’exemple du decumanus occidental à Ostie
Le tronçon occidental du decumanus d’Ostie offre un paysage profondément marqué par les remaniements et les restaurations réalisés à la suite des fouilles conduites par Guido Calza entre 1938 et 1942, si bien que la scénographie mise en place à cette époque dissimule au regard profane la complexité de l’évolution urbaine de cette zone. Seul l’espace didactique aménagé au pied de la Domus sul decumano (III, II, 3) témoigne encore de la complexité de l’évolution des quartiers occidentaux d’Ostie. Ce sondage montre sans ambiguïté que cette zone connut plusieurs phases urbaines majeures depuis sa création au cours de l’époque républicaine et jusqu’à son abandon à la fin de l’Antiquité.
Chacune de ces phases se caractérise par un paysage urbain différent que cet exposé se propose de mettre en évidence à travers l’analyse des façades qui constituent le volume de cette rue, afin de dessiner successivement les contours de cet espace à l’époque sévérienne, à la fin du règne d’Hadrien, puis à l’époque augustéenne. Pour ce faire, cette démarche s’appuiera sur la documentation des fouilles anciennes conservée au Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica. Ces documents permettront en premier lieu de déconstruire le paysage archéologique tel que nous le voyons aujourd’hui et de restituer le paysage archéologique tel qu’il se présentait avant les remaniements réalisés en 1938-42.
Since the publication of Roman Ostia, many archaeological studies have assumed that the whole urb... more Since the publication of Roman Ostia, many archaeological studies have assumed that the whole urban fabric of Ostia was significantly raised under the reign of Domitian, even though Russel Meiggs precisely said “it was probably under Domitian that the building level was sharply raised in all new construction”. Nevertheless, the situation is clearly more complicated. Before the publication of Meiggs’ book, some trenches carried out from the excavations directed by Dante Vaglieri at the start of the 20th century and then by Italo Gismondi in the mid-20th century had already shown that the city level was raised several times in the eastern district (east to the forum) as well as in the western one (west to the forum). Moreover, the results of these unpublished investigations suggest that the evolution of the urban fabric might not be similar in both these districts. So far, scholars have mainly investigated this issue by considering trenches carried out in a few buildings, such as the Terme di Nettuno (II, IV, 1-2) alongside the eastern decumanus, the Insula di Giove e Ganimede (I, IV, 1) close to the forum or the Schola del Traiano (IV, V, 15-16) alongside the western decumanus. On the contrary, my PhD research focuses on the streets that interconnect buildings and seeks to shed a new light on the urban evolution of Ostia through the analysis of the raising of the roadways and the underground facilities. The Regio II, located between the eastern decumanus and the southern bank of the Tiber, provides a case study of particular interest due to the numerous and fine excavations conducted at the start of the 20th century. My paper aims to scrutinize the archival records of Vaglieri’s excavations in order to propose a new reading of the street network development in this area.
L’innalzamento dei livelli è un fenomeno ben noto a Ostia dall’inizio del Novecento in poi. Già n... more L’innalzamento dei livelli è un fenomeno ben noto a Ostia dall’inizio del Novecento in poi. Già nel 1913, D. Vaglieri scrisse che l’intera città fu rialzata alla fine del primo secolo d.C. e questa opinione fu ripresa successivamente da numerosi studiosi. Tuttavia, i saggi compiuti lungo il decumano orientale negli anni ʼ10 e ʼ20 del secolo scorso dimostrano già che l’innalzamento dell’interra città si rivela un problema più complesso: alcune strade ad esempio furono rialzate più volte. Questi rialzamenti, e quelli dell’intera città in generale, sono stati finora poco studiati in modo sistematico e le mie ricerche dottorali tuttora in corso si focalizzano appunto su questo argomento. A tal proposito, sto procedendo alla collazione di tutta la documentazione scritta e visiva relativa all’innalzamento delle strade di Ostia nello scopo di proporre una ricostruzione dello sviluppo e dell’innalzamento progressivo della rete stradale ostiense. La difficoltà maggiore di questo lavoro è sicuramente l’eterogeneità della documentazione che si rivela molto diversa secondo l’epoca degli scavi. In questa sede, tratterò in particolare dei rialzamenti del decumano massimo tra Porta Romana e Porta Marina prima della metà III sec. d.C. che fu scavato sin dal 1908 fino al 1939. La proposta di ricostruzione seguente, tuttavia, rimane del tutto provvisoria e le mie indagini nell’archivio, tuttora in corso, la confermeranno o la respingeranno nei prossimi mesi.
6th International Congress on Construction History. Session: Building Maintenance. Brussels, Belgium, 2018
The Roman upper-class houses are well-known thanks to Vitruvius’ De Architectura and Pompeii’s ex... more The Roman upper-class houses are well-known thanks to Vitruvius’ De Architectura and Pompeii’s excavations. This atrium house form, as encountered in the Vesuvian cities, is typical of the late Republic and early Empire. At the same time, however, a new form of residential building – the insulae – progressively took the place of this kind of domus in Rome and Ostia. Nevertheless, some of them were maintained over many centuries, as suggest the three atrium houses along the Vicus Patricius represented on a fragment of the Severan Forma Urbis Romae (n°543). Ostia is a good case study to investigate the maintenance of this architectural form in the Empire. Indeed, the urban growth of Ostia is continuous from the fourth century BC to the late Antiquity. Most of the houses built in late Republic and Early Empire are knocked down during this time, like the republican Casette Repubblicane (I, IX, 1) or the Augustan Domus con Portico di Tufo (IV, VI, 1) because the insulae became the common type of dwelling at the mouth of the Tiber during the second century AD. These destructions reflect many transformations in social practices of the Roman aristocracy in the harbour of Rome. Nevertheless, some households preferred to preserve their domus rather than construct new more profitable ones, as suggest the Domus di Giove Fulminatore (IV, IV, 3), the Domus della Nicchia a Mosaico (IV, IV, 2) or the Domus a Peristilio (IV, V, 15-16). These ancient domus contrasted with the new insulae and they indicated the social rank of their owner in the new townscape. This paper will discuss the case of these Augustan houses in the imperial urban fabric of Ostia, with a focus on the Domus a Peristilio owned by the familly of C. Fabius Agrippinus, consul suffect in 148 AD. Indeed, the excavations undertaken between 2002 and 2010 within the so-called Schola del Traiano (IV, V, 15-16) offer some stratigraphic evidence – unpublished – from the building yard to the demolition of this aristocratic house. These archaeological investigations have made it possible to envisage many repairs and transformations that took place over time. This building maintenance betrays the homeowner’s will to adapt his dwelling to technical progress, like water supplies, or the decorative program to the decorative fashion. All in all, this talk about the upkeep of atrium upper-class houses during the Empire re-evaluates the features of the society in Roman Ostia.
19th International Congress of Classical Archaeology. Panel: Roman Streets and Urban Economy. Bonn-Cologne, Germany, 2018
The imperial streets of Ostia and Rome – as they appear on the severian Forma Urbis Romae – were ... more The imperial streets of Ostia and Rome – as they appear on the severian Forma Urbis Romae – were edged by many shops, which shaped the streetscape of these cities. This situation is common in modern downtown, but it was not in Antiquity. In greek cities such as Priene or Olynthus, the space of the street is so different : since there is few doorways in the buildings façades, the frontages are more simple and the buildings more segregated from the thoroughfares. We observe the same characteristics in some italian cities, like Norba, destroyed at the begining of the 1 st century BC. Indeed, the streetscape seems to change from the Late-Republic in Italy : at Ostia for instance, we observe late-republican tabernae along the Decumanus, under the Horrea of Hortensius. The progressive development of shops along urban thoroughfares shows evidence of the economic facilities offered by the space of the street, made up of building façades, roadway and street furnitures. This built framework hosts shopkeepers and their commercial activities, because it gave some market opportunities to them, just as a macellum, but far and wide throughout the city. So far, this architectural environment has been neglected in favor of the street network and the traffic. This paper would consider the evolution of the architecture of the streets in Italy, between the Mid-Republican time and the Severian period, and highlight the role played by the " street-as-market " in the organisation of urban economy.
Roman Archaeology Conference. Session Shopping and the Roman City. Edinburgh, Scotland, 2018
In Roman Antiquity, most people only purchased what was absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, as th... more In Roman Antiquity, most people only purchased what was absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, as the severan Forma Urbis Romae shows, the streetscape of Rome was dominated by tabernae, which are usually associated with commercial or handcraft activities and we observe a similar phenomenon in Ostia. Elsewhere, such as Pompeii or Alba Fucens, shops are mostly located along the main streets. The increase of tabernae along the thoroughfares contributed to designing new spaces of consumption, where goods for sale were displayed into the space of the street.This paper focusses on this “street-as-market” between the Mid-Republic and the Mid-Empire in Centrale Italy.
Jusqu'à présent, le tissu urbain du " port " de Rome fut essentiellement envisagé à travers les é... more Jusqu'à présent, le tissu urbain du " port " de Rome fut essentiellement envisagé à travers les édifices qui y furent élevés. La rue en revanche, qui constitue un espace fondamental dans l'organisation urbaine, n'a jamais fait l'objet d'aucune étude exhaustive. Pour pallier cette lacune, trois points majeurs seront abordés dans le cadre de mes recherches doctorales : l'évolution du système viaire depuis la fondation d'Ostie au IV e s. av. J.-C. jusqu'à son abandon au cours de l'Antiquité tardive, les rehaussements successifs des niveaux de la chaussée, puis l'architecture de la rue. C'est précisément ce dernier point que je souhaite développer au cours du séminaire synoikismos, en me focalisant plus particulièrement sur le cas du Cardo Septentrional, parce qu'il permet d'aborder cet élément fondateur de l'urbanité sous un angle rarement pris en considération. En effet, celui-ci est souvent considéré comme un espace vide, dédié exclusivement à la circulation, alors qu'il s'agit au contraire d'un espace construit et aménagé pour répondre à des enjeux économiques et sociaux spécifiques. Une telle approche des rues d'Ostie sera en outre l'occasion de s'interroger sur le paysage urbain de cette cité et de définir ses caractéristiques par rapport à d'autres villes romaines, comme Pompéi ou Alba Fucens.
Ostia Antica. Nuovi studi e confronto delle ricerche nei quartieri occidentali (22-24 septembre 2014). Rome, Italy, 2014
Comprendre le site de la Schola del Traiano en fonction des édifices périphériques. L'exemple du ... more Comprendre le site de la Schola del Traiano en fonction des édifices périphériques. L'exemple du Caseggiato delle Taberne Finestrate Trop souvent, les archéologues s'attachent seulement à l'étude d'une parcelle, sans chercher à comprendre comment celle-ci s'articule avec les fonds voisins. Pourtant, la construction d'un nouvel édifice au sein d'un tissu urbain aussi dense que celui d'Ostie ne peut pas être sans conséquence sur les édifices des parcelles alentours. Le cas du site de la Schola del Traiano en est un bel exemple : l'étude des différents bâtiments construits sur cette parcelle tout au long de son histoire apporte de nouvelles données pour la compréhension des édifices périphériques, tandis que l'étude de ces derniers permet de mieux les appréhender. Il ne s'agit pas ici d'une étude exhaustive de tous les édifices qui entourent cette parcelle, mais un zoom sur le Caseggiato delle Taberne Finestrate (IV, V, 18), qui a fait l'objet de mon mémoire de Master 2 soutenu à l'Université Lumière Lyon 2 le 30 août 2013. L'étude menée sur ce bâtiment modeste, très peu présent dans la bibliographie, s'est articulée autour de trois points fondamentaux : l'étude des archives du Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica, l'étude du bâti et l'analyse des données issues des fouilles conduites en 2010 dans l'enceinte de ce bâtiment. La combinaison de ces trois approches a permis de mettre en exergue l'existence de liens privilégiés entre le Caseggiato et la parcelle de la Schola del Traiano, liens qui donnent l'occasion d'avoir une nouvelle lecture de cette dernière.
We are pleased to inform you of the organization of a conference for all PhD students and doctors... more We are pleased to inform you of the organization of a conference for all PhD students and doctors graduated since 2013 focusing their investigations on the mouth of the Tiber. The seminar “Ricerche Archeologiche alla Foce del Tevere” will be held on December 2018 in Ostia and Rome. Please find attach the call for papers. We hope to see you on the occasion of this meeting.
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première guerre mondiale, puis durant l’après-guerre, alors que la trésorerie du royaume d’Italie était épuisée par l’effort de guerre. Ces liens entre fouilles archéologiques et travaux publics eurent des conséquences significatives sur l’exploration de la ville antique.
The progressive development of shops along urban thoroughfares shows evidence of the economic facilities offered by the space of the street, made up of building façades, roadway and street furnitures. This built framework hosts shopkeepers and their commercial activities, because it gave some market opportunities to them, just as a macellum, but far and wide throughout the city. So far, this architectural environment has been neglected in favor of the street network and the traffic. This paper would consider the evolution of the architecture of the streets in Italy, between the Mid-Republican time and the Severian period, and highlight the role played by the “street-as-market” in the organisation of urban economy.
Diversi eventi scientifici hanno messo in luce i più importanti protagonisti degli scavi di Ostia condotti nella prima metà del Novecento: Italo Gismondi nel 2007, Dante Vaglieri nel 2014 e Raïssa Calza nel 2019. Solo il marito di quest'ultima, Guido Calza, è rimasto in disparte. Tuttavia, è stato l'attore principale della storia di questo sito archeologico durante il periodo in esame. Arrivò all’Ufficio Scavi di Ostia nel 1912 come ispettore, sotto la direzione di Dante Vaglieri, e li lasciò solo nel 1946, pochi anni dopo la nomina a Soprintendente, per raggiungere il suo compianto maestro nel vicino cimitero di San Ercolano.
Questa giornata di studio cerca di colmare questa lacuna proponendo diverse riflessioni su questo archeologo, che ha lasciato per sempre il segno sul sito di Ostia. I vari contributi proposti durante questa giornata di studio cercheranno di mettere in luce la personalità di Guido Calza, attraverso le sue realizzazioni e la sua concezione dell'archeologia. Non è quindi tanto la storia di Ostia quanto la storia di un uomo e del suo tempo che questo incontro si propone di ripercorrere.
La giornata si concluderà con la presentazione del libro Ad Ostium Tiberis, proposto da Carlo Pavolini e Alessandro d'Alessio.
Da allora queste pratiche non si sono fermate e, ancora oggi, il Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica conduce regolarmente lavori per soddisfare le aspettative dei visitatori. La valorizzazione del sito archeologico è il risultato di scelte “museografiche” che variano a seconda del periodo. I lavori per l’Esposizione Universale di Roma ne sono un ottimo esempio e la scenografia scelta all’epoca influenza ancora oggi il paesaggio archeologico del sito, condizionando così la nostra comprensione delle rovine e della “realtà antica”.
Questa situazione pone numerosi problemi metodologici che si rivelano fondamentali nella pratica archeologica attuale e ai quali il workshop cercherà di rispondere: quali motivi hanno spinto gli archeologi a condurre questa o quella scelta per la valorizzazione del sito? Fino a che punto questi interventi restituiscono un quadro fedele di come era Ostia nell’antichità? Tali interventi potrebbero indurre degli errori nelle interpretazioni degli archeologi?
Ne discuteranno Enrico Rinaldi, autore di una tesi di dottorato dal titolo “Restauro e conservazione a Ostia Antica nella prima metà del Novecento”, Grégory Mainet, dottorando con un interesse particolare per la valorizzazione del patrimonio di Ostia, come parte della sua ricerca sulla rete stradale della città, e Mariarosaria Barbera, direttrice del Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.
première guerre mondiale, puis durant l’après-guerre, alors que la trésorerie du royaume d’Italie était épuisée par l’effort de guerre. Ces liens entre fouilles archéologiques et travaux publics eurent des conséquences significatives sur l’exploration de la ville antique.
The progressive development of shops along urban thoroughfares shows evidence of the economic facilities offered by the space of the street, made up of building façades, roadway and street furnitures. This built framework hosts shopkeepers and their commercial activities, because it gave some market opportunities to them, just as a macellum, but far and wide throughout the city. So far, this architectural environment has been neglected in favor of the street network and the traffic. This paper would consider the evolution of the architecture of the streets in Italy, between the Mid-Republican time and the Severian period, and highlight the role played by the “street-as-market” in the organisation of urban economy.
Diversi eventi scientifici hanno messo in luce i più importanti protagonisti degli scavi di Ostia condotti nella prima metà del Novecento: Italo Gismondi nel 2007, Dante Vaglieri nel 2014 e Raïssa Calza nel 2019. Solo il marito di quest'ultima, Guido Calza, è rimasto in disparte. Tuttavia, è stato l'attore principale della storia di questo sito archeologico durante il periodo in esame. Arrivò all’Ufficio Scavi di Ostia nel 1912 come ispettore, sotto la direzione di Dante Vaglieri, e li lasciò solo nel 1946, pochi anni dopo la nomina a Soprintendente, per raggiungere il suo compianto maestro nel vicino cimitero di San Ercolano.
Questa giornata di studio cerca di colmare questa lacuna proponendo diverse riflessioni su questo archeologo, che ha lasciato per sempre il segno sul sito di Ostia. I vari contributi proposti durante questa giornata di studio cercheranno di mettere in luce la personalità di Guido Calza, attraverso le sue realizzazioni e la sua concezione dell'archeologia. Non è quindi tanto la storia di Ostia quanto la storia di un uomo e del suo tempo che questo incontro si propone di ripercorrere.
La giornata si concluderà con la presentazione del libro Ad Ostium Tiberis, proposto da Carlo Pavolini e Alessandro d'Alessio.
Da allora queste pratiche non si sono fermate e, ancora oggi, il Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica conduce regolarmente lavori per soddisfare le aspettative dei visitatori. La valorizzazione del sito archeologico è il risultato di scelte “museografiche” che variano a seconda del periodo. I lavori per l’Esposizione Universale di Roma ne sono un ottimo esempio e la scenografia scelta all’epoca influenza ancora oggi il paesaggio archeologico del sito, condizionando così la nostra comprensione delle rovine e della “realtà antica”.
Questa situazione pone numerosi problemi metodologici che si rivelano fondamentali nella pratica archeologica attuale e ai quali il workshop cercherà di rispondere: quali motivi hanno spinto gli archeologi a condurre questa o quella scelta per la valorizzazione del sito? Fino a che punto questi interventi restituiscono un quadro fedele di come era Ostia nell’antichità? Tali interventi potrebbero indurre degli errori nelle interpretazioni degli archeologi?
Ne discuteranno Enrico Rinaldi, autore di una tesi di dottorato dal titolo “Restauro e conservazione a Ostia Antica nella prima metà del Novecento”, Grégory Mainet, dottorando con un interesse particolare per la valorizzazione del patrimonio di Ostia, come parte della sua ricerca sulla rete stradale della città, e Mariarosaria Barbera, direttrice del Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.
Il programma focalizzerà l’attenzione soprattutto sui nuovi approcci e le metodologie di ricerca usati per lo studio di questi territori. In quest’ottica ogni relatore avrà l’occasione di presentare le sue ricerche ad un ampio pubblico di specialisti e di confrontarsi con la comunità scientifica che da anni si occupa di questi territori.
Questo convegno avrà luogo al Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica, all’Academia Belgica di Roma e alla Sapienza, Università di Roma, con il supporto dell’Université de Liège (UR " Art, Archéologie, Patrimoine, Service d'Histoire de l'Art et d'Archéologie de l'Antiquité gréco-romaine) e dell’Istituto Storico Belga di Roma. L’incontro è inoltre sponsorizzato dall’Unione Internazionale degli Istituti di Archeologia, Storia e Storia dell'arte in Roma.
First of all, how do we consider the street? As a simple way for traffic? No, we do not. This conception is wrong as a reading of ancient authors such as Martial or Juvenal suggests. The space of the street was built in three dimensions and was developed to answer the needs of the local inhabitants. Indeed, it was a place for important social and economic interactions constituting the urban sociability. The economic function of the street clearly appeared in its architecture which was shaped by the construction of numerous tabernae within the so-called insulae and by the promotion of the activities (advertising) which happened there. In other words, the Roman cities economy was not confined to specific buildings such as macella. On the contrary, it was incorporated across the urban fabric, along the streets.
With this panel, we offer to shed a new light to the role of the street within the urban economies across the Roman Dominion between the 2nd century B.C.E. and the 3rd century A.C.E. Is the economic role of the streets the same across the whole empire? What about the cities where people were settled before Rome’s arrival? On the contrary, what about all those ones which were founded by the Romans? Did Rome and the Eastern Roman cities inherit their characteristics from Hellenistic cities? Or was the Roman model born in Italy?
This issue is wide, contrary to the sources at our disposal. To further our understanding, we would like to develop two approaches built on precise archaeological cases, chosen within different periods: a) the qualitative study of the development of some streets well-known thanks to extensive excavations such as Via dell’Abbondanza in Pompei or the Main Street of the Theatre District in Delos. b) the quantitative study of the distribution of economic functions along the network and the interactions between them thanks to non-invasive investigations.
Les fouilles menées sous Pie IX par P.E. et C.L Visconti témoignent d’un premier intérêt pour la topographie ostienne. Cependant, ce sont P. Rosa et R. Lanciani qui firent entrée le port de Rome dans l’ère des études topographiques dans les années 1870-1890. La documentation la plus intéressante est sans conteste celle produite par Lanciani, conservée à la Biblioteca di Archeologia e Storia dell’Arte. L’arrivée de D. Vaglieri à la direction des fouilles en 1908 marqua une nouvelle phase dans la pratique archéologique (1908-24). L’archéologue chercha non seulement à clarifier la topographie urbaine, mais aussi à comprendre l’évolution diachronique de la ville, en ouvrant des sondages là où le contexte de conservation le permettait. Dans le même temps, la documentation scientifique des travaux devient plus abondante et plus précise grâce au renforcement des infrastructures scientifiques à Ostie : des journaux de fouilles furent rédigés par le soprastante R. Finelli ; des plans et des sections dessinés par I. Gismondi ; de nombreuses photographies prises par les différents responsables scientifiques ; et des rapports exhaustifs publiés régulièrement dans les Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità. La documentation de cette période offre une matière abondante, qu’il faut toutefois examiner avec un regard critique. La direction de G. Calza au cours des deux décennies suivantes marqua un retour en arrière notable. Les fouilles menées dans le cadre de l’Exposition Universelle de Rome, prévue en 1942, constituent l’anti-modèle par excellence et apparaît comme tel dans les manuels retraçant l’histoire de l’archéologie italienne. La documentation produite alors est très pauvre. Ces fouilles furent complétées après la guerre. D’une part, une vaste campagne de sondages – plus de 500 ! – menée par Gismondi chercha à éclairer les phases les plus anciennes d’Ostie, en vue de la publication de la Topografia generale. La documentation produite à cette occasion est particulièrement précieuse pour étudier les phases urbaines précédents le IIe s. apr. J.-C. D’autre part, les cantieri scuole, mis en place au lendemain de la guerre pour former des chômeurs, achevèrent l’excavation et la restauration des zones qui n’avaient pas été complètement dégagées lors des travaux de l’EUR, en particulier la zone du Serapeum. La méthode reste voisine de celle employées en 1938-41, mais la documentation est plus soignée. Enfin, les fouilles menées dans les années 60-70 par la Surintendance, notamment par F. Zevi, se démarquent par la mise en place progressive de la méthode stratigraphique. Ces travaux, qui furent souvent réalisés à l’occasion de la restauration des pavements, sont contemporains des fouilles des Terme del Nuotatore, qui marquèrent un tournant majeur dans l’histoire des fouilles d’Ostie.
Notre exposé présentera les cinq grandes phases évoquées précédemment, qui ponctuèrent la recherche archéologique entre 1870 et 1970 : quels étaient les objectifs des archéologues ? Quels étaient les moyens à leur disposition ? Comment documentèrent-ils leur travail ? Comme nous le verrons, l’ensemble documentaire dont nous avons hérité est très hétéroclite. Nous chercherons par conséquent à rendre compte des caractéristiques de la documentation de chaque période, afin de mettre en évidence les apports potentiels d’une relecture systématiques des archives à la compréhension de l’histoire urbaine d’Ostie et les limites. En effet, dans quelle mesure peut-on se fier à ces sources ? Les documents produits au cours d’une même phase sont-ils cohérents entre eux ? Qu’en est-il des documents produits à différentes époques ? Notre réflexion se basera sur différents exemples, qui permettent de considérer sous un regard nouveau certains épisodes de l’histoire urbaine d’Ostie depuis sa fondation, à l’époque médio-républicaine, jusqu’à son abandon, au cours de l’antiquité tardive.
The documents in question are dispersed throughout the various archives of the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica (the Historical Archives, the Photographic Archives and the Drawing Archives), so that the scholar who studies them must reconnect the missing links between them. The archaeological and epigraphic evidence was published at the time of the excavations, but in a partial way, so that many of the discoveries and results remain unknown to this day. Although these archival materials present invaluable resources for the modern archaeologist, they cannot be studied without critical evaluation. The present contribution focuses on two key aspects of this critical approach:
(a) The historical context in which the excavations and documentation were carried out. Over the course of twenty years, the quality of the documentation fluctuates with current events. Archaeologists usually believe that the passing of Dante Vaglieri in December 1913 marked a turning point in the way that the excavation was documented. The situation turns out to be more complex in light of the larger historical context. Two events were as important as Vaglieri's death in determining the course of the archaeological excavations at the mouth of the Tiber: the outbreak of World War I and the construction of Ostia Nuova (modern Lido di Ostia). By comparing the excavation journals with the correspondence preserved in various Roman archives (Central State Archives, State Archives of Rome, Capitoline Historical Archives) it appears that these other events also had real consequences on the excavation and the documentation;
(b) the data delivered in excavation journals: descriptions, personal observations, publications. Despite the quality of the documentation in question, the scientific criteria of the time do not correspond at all to those of today. I will focus on the excavation journals written by Finelli, which represent an indispensable source. I will first define the distinction between descriptions and personal observations, which do not have the same value for today's archaeologist. Next, I will show the importance for him of reconstructing the links between written and visual documentation (drawings and photos). Finally, I will compare excerpts from the unpublished excavation journals with excerpts from the published notes in Notizie degli Scavi in order to highlight the existence of discrepancies between documentation and publication. To illustrate this second point, I will present a case study from my doctoral thesis, which is currently being published: the eastern section of the decumanus. This example highlights the contribution and limitations of the documentation under consideration, as well as the need to study and publish all available evidence.
A ce jour, seul l’espace didactique aménagé en contre-bas de la Domus sul decumano (III, II, 3) témoigne de cette complexité. Ce sondage, réalisé après la seconde guerre mondiale par Italo Gismondi, montre que ces « quartiers » connurent plusieurs phases majeures depuis sa création durant l’époque républicaine. Ces phases apparaissent clairement au travers des rehaussements successifs du decumanus et de l’élévation progressive du niveau des édifices périphériques. Ces rehaussements de niveaux s’accompagnèrent d’un élargissement continu de cette rue, qui eut des répercussions sensibles sur le tissu urbain de ce secteur. De même, ces transformations affectèrent les voies qui débouchaient sur cet axe, comme le Cardo degli Aurighi.
Jusqu’à présent, les problématiques liées aux rehaussements des niveaux ont été principalement envisagées sur telle ou telle parcelle. Cette approche présuppose que la stratigraphie d’une seule parcelle reflète exactement la stratigraphie du tissu urbain environnant. Ma communication se propose d’éclaircir ces problématiques en évitant ce biais méthodologique. Dans ce dessein, cette réflexion se focalisera sur l’espace de la rue et se nourrira des données récoltées depuis 1938. Ces pièces à conviction comprennent la documentation des fouilles anciennes conservée au Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica et à l’Archivio Centrale dello Stato, ainsi que les résultats de fouilles récentes, en particulier ceux des investigations menées dans le Tempio dei Fabri Navales (III, II, 1-2), la Schola del Traiano (IV, V, 15-16), ainsi que son annexe, le Caseggiato delle Taberne Finestrate (IV, V, 18).
Cette documentation me permettra en premier lieu de restituer le paysage archéologique tel qu’il se présentait avant les remaniements réalisés en 1938-42. Ensuite, je mettrai en évidence l’évolution du tissu urbain de ces « quartiers » entre le Ier siècle avant et le IIIe siècle après J.-C. en prenant les rehaussements du decumanus comme fil conducteur. Toutefois, les transformations de cet espace ne peuvent être comprises isolément des édifices avec lesquelles il interagit. J’illustrerai le lien étroit entre ces composantes de la trame urbaine en présentant notamment une coupe longitudinale des parcelles de la Schola del Traiano et du Tempio dei Fabri Navales (III, II, 1-2), située l’une en face de l’autre de part et d’autre du decumanus. Cette approche dialectique entre le système viaire et le cadre bâti, inédite à Ostie, apportera un jour nouveau sur ce secteur de la cité et constituera un nouveau jalon dans notre connaissance de ces « quartiers » après la publication des actes du colloque qui s’est tenu à l’Academia Belgica en 2014.
Le tronçon occidental du decumanus d’Ostie offre un paysage profondément marqué par les remaniements et les restaurations réalisés à la suite des fouilles conduites par Guido Calza entre 1938 et 1942, si bien que la scénographie mise en place à cette époque dissimule au regard profane la complexité de l’évolution urbaine de cette zone. Seul l’espace didactique aménagé au pied de la Domus sul decumano (III, II, 3) témoigne encore de la complexité de l’évolution des quartiers occidentaux d’Ostie. Ce sondage montre sans ambiguïté que cette zone connut plusieurs phases urbaines majeures depuis sa création au cours de l’époque républicaine et jusqu’à son abandon à la fin de l’Antiquité.
Chacune de ces phases se caractérise par un paysage urbain différent que cet exposé se propose de mettre en évidence à travers l’analyse des façades qui constituent le volume de cette rue, afin de dessiner successivement les contours de cet espace à l’époque sévérienne, à la fin du règne d’Hadrien, puis à l’époque augustéenne. Pour ce faire, cette démarche s’appuiera sur la documentation des fouilles anciennes conservée au Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica. Ces documents permettront en premier lieu de déconstruire le paysage archéologique tel que nous le voyons aujourd’hui et de restituer le paysage archéologique tel qu’il se présentait avant les remaniements réalisés en 1938-42.
So far, scholars have mainly investigated this issue by considering trenches carried out in a few buildings, such as the Terme di Nettuno (II, IV, 1-2) alongside the eastern decumanus, the Insula di Giove e Ganimede (I, IV, 1) close to the forum or the Schola del Traiano (IV, V, 15-16) alongside the western decumanus. On the contrary, my PhD research focuses on the streets that interconnect buildings and seeks to shed a new light on the urban evolution of Ostia through the analysis of the raising of the roadways and the underground facilities. The Regio II, located between the eastern decumanus and the southern bank of the Tiber, provides a case study of particular interest due to the numerous and fine excavations conducted at the start of the 20th century. My paper aims to scrutinize the archival records of Vaglieri’s excavations in order to propose a new reading of the street network development in this area.
Ostia is a good case study to investigate the maintenance of this architectural form in the Empire. Indeed, the urban growth of Ostia is continuous from the fourth century BC to the late Antiquity. Most of the houses built in late Republic and Early Empire are knocked down during this time, like the republican Casette Repubblicane (I, IX, 1) or the Augustan Domus con Portico di Tufo (IV, VI, 1) because the insulae became the common type of dwelling at the mouth of the Tiber during the second century AD. These destructions reflect many transformations in social practices of the Roman aristocracy in the harbour of Rome. Nevertheless, some households preferred to preserve their domus rather than construct new more profitable ones, as suggest the Domus di Giove Fulminatore (IV, IV, 3), the Domus della Nicchia a Mosaico (IV, IV, 2) or the Domus a Peristilio (IV, V, 15-16).
These ancient domus contrasted with the new insulae and they indicated the social rank of their owner in the new townscape. This paper will discuss the case of these Augustan houses in the imperial urban fabric of Ostia, with a focus on the Domus a Peristilio owned by the familly of C. Fabius Agrippinus, consul suffect in 148 AD. Indeed, the excavations undertaken between 2002 and 2010 within the so-called Schola del Traiano (IV, V, 15-16) offer some stratigraphic evidence – unpublished – from the building yard to the demolition of this aristocratic house. These archaeological investigations have made it possible to envisage many repairs and transformations that took place over time. This building maintenance betrays the homeowner’s will to adapt his dwelling to technical progress, like water supplies, or the decorative program to the decorative fashion. All in all, this talk about the upkeep of atrium upper-class houses during the Empire re-evaluates the features of the society in Roman Ostia.