The international conference on 'The Western Mediterranean in the 5th century', organised by the ... more The international conference on 'The Western Mediterranean in the 5th century', organised by the Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l'Homme (MMSH) and set to take place in Aix-en-Provence from 22 to 24 April 2020, was cancelled due to the covid-19 outbreak. As the conference was not postponed, it will be made available only through its proceedings, between 2020-2021.
Featuring: D. Sacco, A. L. Ermeti, G. Cesaretti, Crisis or rebirth? Northern Marche - and the city of Pesaro - in the 5th century AD.
Programma definitivo del III Convegno del CISEM, Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Storia Cu... more Programma definitivo del III Convegno del CISEM, Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Storia Culture e Civiltà (DISCI), complesso di San Giovanni in Monte, 28-30 ottobre 2019 e Ravenna, 31 ottobre 2019.
Latest schedule of the 3rd International Conference on late antique residential buildings and building techniques, to be held on 28-31 October 2019 at the University of Bologna.
Featuring: D. Sacco, G. Cesaretti, Pesaro in Late Antiquity. New perspectives on the city's transformation between the 5th and the 6th centuries AD.
Programma definitivo del I Convegno di Archeologia Medievale nelle Marche, Università di Macerata... more Programma definitivo del I Convegno di Archeologia Medievale nelle Marche, Università di Macerata, 9-11 Maggio 2019-Aula Magna del Dipartimento di Scienze della formazione, dei Beni culturali e del turismo
Rodis. Journal of Medieval and Post-medieval Archaeology, 4 (2021), pp. 227-251, 2021
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Nel presente articolo si traccia un quadro complessivo del materiale ceramico postmedievale r... more IT
Nel presente articolo si traccia un quadro complessivo del materiale ceramico postmedievale recuperato nella Rocca di Bagnara di Romagna (Ravenna), nel corso di indagini archeologiche condotte dalla Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio RA-FC-RN nei primi anni 2000. In quest'ottica, la finalità principale del contributo è quella di evidenziare questioni legate alla circolazione e al consumo della ceramica in un'area periferica rispetto a Ravenna, ma comunque nel raggio di importanti rotte commerciali, considerata la vicinanza ai centri di Imola e Faenza.
EN
The present study aims at providing an overall picture of the post-medieval ceramic assemblage recovered from the castle of Bagnara di Romagna (Ravenna), in the course of archaeological investigations conducted by the local Superintendency in the early 2000s. In this respect, the main purpose of the paper is to investigate matters related to pottery circulation and consumption in a rather peripheral area of the province of Ravenna, nonetheless close to important trade routes, given its vicinity to Faenza and Imola. GC
ES
El presente estudio tiene como objetivo proporcionar una imagen general del conjunto cerámico post-medieval recuperado en el curso de las investigaciones arqueológicas realizadas por la Superintendencia local en el castillo de Bagnara di Romagna (Ravenna) a principios de los años 2000. En este sentido, el objetivo principal del trabajo es investigar asuntos relacionados con la circulación y el uso de cerámica en una zona bastante periférica de la provincia de Ravenna, pero cercana a importantes rutas comerciales por su proximidad a Faenza e Imola. (trad. E. Luzi)
Nel corso dell'anno 2018 l'insegnamento di archeologia medievale dell'Università di Urbino ha avv... more Nel corso dell'anno 2018 l'insegnamento di archeologia medievale dell'Università di Urbino ha avviato la stesura di un progetto di studi e ricerche sulla città di Pesaro nel Medioevo. Le ricerche sulla città, come necessaria fase propedeutica, si sono dirette verso lo studio dei dati editi - e sul reperimento di dati inediti (anche da fonti documentarie) - aventi come oggetto il periodo compreso tra il Tardoantico e il basso Medioevo. Il presente contributo, analizzando le informazioni esistenti sui principali contesti tardoantichi della città di Pesaro, intende fare il punto sulla situazione insediativa del cosiddetto "Quartiere di San Terenzio" che occupava la superficie orientale della città, quella prossima alla cinta muraria di età romana e al litorale. Si presenterà una sintesi dei dati provenienti da contesti oggetto di nuove ricerche a cura dell'Università di Urbino, accanto ad altre notizie inedite a cura di SABAP Marche (area di via dell'Abbondanza, scavi 1999-2005), ponendo il dato in relazione con l'intero tessuto cittadino.
Atti del I Convegno Internazionale di Archeologia Medievale nelle Marche (Macerata, 9-11 maggio 2019), a cura di U. Moscatelli, D. Sacco, Bologna 2021, pp. 341-346, 2021
Following a previuos, general overview released through the Antalya conference on 'medieval and m... more Following a previuos, general overview released through the Antalya conference on 'medieval and modern period mediterranean ceramics' in 2015 (see Cesaretti 2018, in this section and 'papers'), this research contains a new, more in-depth analysis of the pottery finds from the site of via dell'Abbdondanza, in Pesaro, particularly the assemblage excavated in 1999-2000. In the current case, we focused specifically on late medieval fine ware, carrying out a thorough quantification of all the pottery sherds that were retrieved from the waste disposal denoted as 'structure 2' (among which 'maiolica arcaica', as we expected, was the most common ware group). The results have proved extremely encouraging, both from the point of view of the reassessment of the medieval chronology of the site (it is worth remembering that via dell'Abbondanza is a pluristratigraphic site, comprising a series of complex chronological sequences, which span the Roman age to the Late Antiquity and the Modern era) and as regards the ceramic assemblage itself. With regard to the latter, the analysis of some particular classes helped us redefine our knowledge of medieval glazed (both tin and lead) pottery in Pesaro around the 14th/15th centuries, throughout a secure stratigraphic apporach (i. e. based on a closed context). Nonetheless, the presence of some clearly imported items provided us with an important piece of information with respect to the circulation of ceramic artefacts along the northern Adriatic in that specific time period. A thorough study of both the medieval and the postmedieval (particularly, Renaissance) pottery found at the site is yet to come. GC
Proceedings of the 11th Congress AIECM3 on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics (Antalya 2015), vol. 2, Ankara 2018, pp. 401-404, 2018
Il lavoro qui presentato è il risultato di una ricerca preliminare condotta su un gruppo di ceram... more Il lavoro qui presentato è il risultato di una ricerca preliminare condotta su un gruppo di ceramiche medievali e rinascimentali provenienti dal sito archeologico di via dell’Abbondanza, a Pesaro. I materiali di cui si dà notizia giacevano all’interno di alcune strutture di epoca medievale, costruite su un sedime archeologico complesso, nell'ambito di un sito pluristratificato comprendente, nelle sue fasi più antiche, anche strutture di epoca romana (databili tra l'età repubblicana e la tarda età imperiale); all'interno di una delle strutture risalenti al periodo medievale (str. 2) fu possibile isolare una grande quantità di materiali archeologici, assieme ad un abbondante nucleo di ceramiche databili complessivamente tra il XIII e il XVII secolo. Ad un esame più attento, tuttavia, si è notato come la maggior parte delle ceramiche fosse databile tra la fine del Medioevo ed il primo Rinascimento (ultima parte del XV sec.). L'indagine ha permesso di ipotizzare che le strutture fossero state create, inizialmente, come luoghi per la conservazione del cibo e in un secondo tempo, con molta probabilità, trasformate in vasche per lo smaltimento dei rifiuti. I materiali ceramici fin qui esaminati (XIV- prima metà del XVI sec.) appaiono riconducibili ad un contesto sociale elevato, forse ad un nucleo familiare che abitava nelle immediate vicinanze dei vani di scarico. GC
In & Around Pottery, Ceramica e comunità. Secondo convegno tematico dell'AIECM3 (Faenza, 17-19 aprile 2015), a cura di M. Ferri, C. Moine, L. Sabbionesi, Firenze 2016, pp. 144-150, 2016
Waste Disposal Practices in Late Medieval Ferrara: a Few Observations on some New and Major Conte... more Waste Disposal Practices in Late Medieval Ferrara: a Few Observations on some New and Major Contexts
The paper sums up the results of a series of archaeological investigations that were carried out in the city of Ferrara between the 1990s and the years 2000. In particular, the research focuses on waste disposal practices in Ferrara during the Middle Ages, especially on a particualr category of underground chambers, which served as rubbish pits, within the urban area, between the 2nd half of 14th and the 16th century. Generally, these structures had the shape of brick-built chambers with a vaulted ceiling. Thus far, at least 12 such rooms have been excavated in the city, most of which were found in connection with aristocratic or upper middle-class domestic contexts, albeit associations with religious complexes are also attested. Archaeologically, these chambers are of great importance from the point of view of their content, as they have provided a vast amount of information as far as the economy of the city in the late Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance is concerned. In this paper, three different structures have been examined specifically, each one representative of any category: 1. aristocratic contexts (related to the Este family), 2. domestic contexts and finally 3. religious contexts. CG, GC
Food and the City. Il cibo e la città, VII Congresso AISU (Milano-Padova, 2-5 settembre 2015), C26 Archeologia dell'alimentazione. Il cibo come indicatore sociale degli insediamenti (authors: C. Guarnieri, G. Cesaretti, G. Bosi, L. Dal Fiume, M. Mazzanti, V. Caselli, I. Ansaloni, A. Pederzoli), 2015
Navi, relitti e porti: il commercio marittimo della ceramica medievale e post-medievale, Atti del... more Navi, relitti e porti: il commercio marittimo della ceramica medievale e post-medievale, Atti del 45° Convegno Internazionale della Ceramica (Savona, 25-26 maggio 2012), pp. 205-216, 2012 (con C. Guarnieri)
La ceramica post-medievale nel Mediterraneo. Gli indicatori cronologici: secoli XVI-XVII, Atti del 44° Convegno Internazionale della Ceramica (Savona, 27-28 maggio 2011), pp. 123-136, 2011
Annali dell'Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori di Ferrara, vol. 8, n. 1 (2014), pp. 1-533 (monographic issue) (PhD thesis in Sciences and Technologies for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, University of Ferrara-Univ. of Modena and Reggio Emilia-Univ. of Siena, 25th cycle, 2010-2012), 2014
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Questo lavoro rappresenta la terza ed ultima parte di un progetto di ricerca portato avanti d... more IT
Questo lavoro rappresenta la terza ed ultima parte di un progetto di ricerca portato avanti dall'Università di Ferrara tra il 2008 ed il 2012, che ha avuto come principale obiettivo la riscoperta ed il punto sullo status quaestions sulla ceramica ferrarese di epoca medievale e rinascimentale, in particolare la classe delle ingobbiate.
I materiali ceramici di cui ci siamo occupati in prima persona, nel presente studio, provengono da due contesti molto diversi tra loro: da un lato un deposito archeologico (US1050) ed una raccolta di stampo antiquario (coll. Carife) dall'altro.
Per quanto riguarda il deposito, si tratta di una vasca sotterranea per rifiuti, rinvenuta in piazza Municipio a Ferrara nei primi anni 2000, oggetto di una recente ed esaustiva pubblicazione curata da C. Guarnieri della Soprintendenza per la città metropolitana di Bologna e le province di Modena, Reggio Emilia e Ferrara, contenente, tra gli altri, alcuni contributi dello scrivente inerenti proprio i materiali ceramici della vasca, a cui quindi rimandiamo (cfr. Ferrara al tempo di Ecole I d'Este. Scavi archeologici, restauri e riqualificazione urbana nel centro storico della città, a cura di C. Guarnieri, Firenze 2018).
Del tutto inedito, invece, l'esame condotto sul lotto A di proprietà della Fondazione Carife, comprende 362 manufatti, databili tra la seconda metà del XIV e la seconda metà del XVI sec. ca., comprendenti essenzialmente ceramiche ingobbiate e smaltate.
Diversamente dalla US1050, questo nucleo non presenta una provenienza unitaria, ma rappresenta il frutto di un’accurata selezione da parte dell’uomo: quasi il 90% dei materiali è costituito, infatti, da ingobbiate graffite; inoltre, non sono oggetti frammentari, ma solo oggetti integri, semi-integri (spesso restaurati).
Il lotto A non ha restituito notizie di carattere storico, intendendo con ciò la possibilità di risalire alle tappe fondamentali di formazione della raccolta.
Anche per questo motivo, ma non solo, la nostra lettura è stata fortemente critica, nei confronti soprattutto della precedente letteratura, nel tentativo di ristabilire un giusto equilibrio tra gli studi più conservatori, generalmente a carattere locale, e le tendenze più attuali della ceramologia, per cui il dato archeologico sta diventando un riferimento sempre più indispensabile ai fini della ricerca e della datazione, a prescindere dalla personale formazione.
Questo lavoro, che nasce come tesi di dottorato in Scienze e tecnologie per l'archeologia e i beni culturali, XXV ciclo, presso l'Università di Ferrara, ha ricevuto il premio come miglior tesi dottorale della classe di Lettere nel 2013, successivamente pubblicato nella collana degli Annali dello IUSS di Ferrara. GC
EN
This work is the third and last part of a research project whose primary purpose was to revise the role and the function of late medieval pottery (particularly sgraffito ware) recovered in the city of Ferrara, in the Emilia Romagna region. The ceramic materials which we considered in our study belong to two different assemblages: on the one hand an underground rubbish pit excavated in 2001 in Ferrara's Municipal Square (anciently the city’s Ducal Courtyard) (US 1050), on other hand the Carife Foundation collection of objets d’art (group A). These assemblages diverge markedly from one another, starting from the type of formation, that is an archaeological deposit, once used as waste disposal (Municipal square), and (Carife coll.) a group of objects from antiques trade and auctions; nevertheless, what brings them together is the high percetange of late-medieval ceramics, particularly slip-coated wares with incised decorations. The analysis of the pottery finds from the pit resulted in the following data: a total of 4066 ceramic sherds (omitting illegible pieces, from now on: sh.), that become 4118 if we add kiln waste products (that is a few biscuit-fired wasters). Of these, 1439 are single sh., whereas 2627 represent units (joining in some cases), forming a total of 476 individuals (or MNV = minimum number of vessels) plus a group of 92 restored pieces. As far as the chronology is concerned, both the written sources and the type of ceramic associations appeared to indicate the second half of the 15th c. ca. as a possible terminus ante quem for the pit (US 1050 is a rather secure context, as it was found sealed some metres under the square).
Conversely, the ceramics which belong to Carife's group A comprise a total of 362 items dating between ca. the second half of the 14th and the second half of the 16th centuries; ware groups here include mainly slip-coated wares and medieval tin-glazed wares, though unlike US 1050, these ceramics do not represent a unit, in view of the fact that they do not come from stratigraphic excavations, but were intentionally grouped together in the course of the last three decades of the 20th century; almost 90% of the pieces consists of sgraffiato wares, restored in most of the cases.
Unfortunately, group A lacks all sorts of documentation concerning its formation prior to Carife's acquisition and no record is available with regard either the possible owner/s and/or dealers, and the provenance of the objects (allegedly Ferrara).
Owing to this, these ceramics could only be examined through a comparison with archaeological materials from excavations carried out to scientifical standards, with special regard the north-eastern part of Italy.
The present work, which was originally submitted as a PhD thesis at the University of Ferrara, was awarded best doctoral thesis within the Faculty of Huminities at the University of Ferrara, then published in the Annali dell'Istituto di Studi Superiori of Ferrara series. GC
Ceramica graffita ferrarese. Materiali per una bibliografia ragionata (Sgraffito Ware from Ferrar... more Ceramica graffita ferrarese. Materiali per una bibliografia ragionata (Sgraffito Ware from Ferrara. A Reasoned Bibliography), G. Cesaretti, L. Bonazzi, I. Galvani eds. (with a foreword by G. C. Bojani), Firenze 2011.
Due to copyright reasons, the book could not be uploaded as a whole. Should anyone be interested, however, do not hesitate to contact me [cesarettigcm(at)gmail.com] or borrow it at the nearest libraries.
Il Genio delle Acque. Scavi nelle piazze di Ravenna, C. Guarnieri, G. Montevecchi eds., Ravenna 2018, pp. 293-315.
The volume ‘The Genius of Waters. Archaeological excavations in two of the main squares of Ravenn... more The volume ‘The Genius of Waters. Archaeological excavations in two of the main squares of Ravenna (piazza A. Garibaldi and piazza A. Costa)’, edited by C. Guarnieri and G. Montevecchi, includes the results of two recent (as of 2009-2011) investigations conducted in the centre of Ravenna by the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the City of Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena and Rimini, both focused on the presence of 'waters' in the city. The excavation carried out in A. Garibaldi square (2011), to start with, brought to light, along with a complex stratification, two distinct Roman houses paved with mosaics (depicting a fluvial god, among other motifs), that were subsequently merged into one, marking an exceptionally long continuity of use (ca. 1st c. AD–7th c.), before being replaced by a new building, possibly connected with cultual functions. On the other hand, A. Costa square, located in an area of the city where, according to written records, the Padenna channel would originally flow into the Flumisellum Padennae, yielded the remains of the so called Casa Matha, that is the city’s old Fish Market, which used to occupy the 'piazza' until its relocation, at the end of the 18th century. My contribution to this volume concerned the analysis of the medieval and post-medieval pottery finds from both sites (A. Costa clearly the most articulated one, in this perspective), a research that stands among the few, available works on medieval and modern stratified artifacts from the city of Ravenna, so far. The volume is available at libraries in Italy and worldwide, following the links below. GC
Italy: http://id.sbn.it/bid/UBO4322448;
Rest of the world: https://www.worldcat.org/title/genio-delle-acque-scavi-nelle-piazze-di-ravenna/oclc/1039817213&referer=brief_results#borrow
The Dowry of Beatrice. Italian Art and the Court of King Matthias. Exhibition Catalogue, G. Balla and Z. Jékely eds, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest 2008, pp. 41-54, 2008
La mostra sull'arte italiana alla corte del re Mattia Corvino d'Ungheria è stata l'occasione, nel... more La mostra sull'arte italiana alla corte del re Mattia Corvino d'Ungheria è stata l'occasione, nel 2008, per tracciare un primo status quaestionis sulla ceramica rinascimentale a Pesaro secondo una prospettiva deliberatamente archeologica (partendo, forse in maniera ardita, da materiali totalmente decontestualizzati: i frammenti ceramici della collezione dei Musei Civici di Pesaro). Ad oggi, nel suo complesso, lo studio della ceramica pesarese (non solo rinascimentale) è stato quasi interamente affrontato sulla base di materiali antiquari o astratigrafici (principalmente le raccolte che P. Berardi, medico appassionato di cultura materiale, nonché raccoglitore seriale negli sterri della Pesaro anni '80, donò ai suddetti Musei nel corso degli anni '90 del sec. scorso), sostanzialmente privi di indicazione di provenienza (forse recuperati in area urbana, ma da sterri comunque incontrollati), cui sono state però spesso associate informazioni archeologiche (datazioni e provenienze certe), in netto contrasto, dunque, con il loro reale valore documentario. Oltre a gettare luce su questioni di tipo metodologico, tuttavia, l'articolo contiene anche un breve excursus sui possibili rapporti tra la maiolica pesarese del tardo Quattrocento e le produzioni ceramiche ungheresi alla corte di Mattia Corvino (ultimo quarto del XV sec.). Il catalogo allegato offre una panoramica su alcuni materiali di fine XV-inizio XVI sec. da sterri urbani a Pesaro (stando alle poche fonti d'archivio disponibili), attualmente in deposito presso i Musei Civici cittadini. GC
The Dowry of Beatrice. Italian Art and the Court of King Matthias. Exhibition Catalogue, G. Balla... more The Dowry of Beatrice. Italian Art and the Court of King Matthias. Exhibition Catalogue, G. Balla and Z. Jékely eds, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest 2008, catalogue entries n. 3.6 (p. 151), 3.12 (p. 155), 3.13-3.15 (pp. 156-157), 3.24 (p. 163), 3.27-3.28 (pp. 166-167), 3.32-3.35 (pp. 170-171), 3.40-3.45 (pp. 175-178), 3.47 (pp. 179-180), 3.49 (p. 181), 3.51 (p. 184) [ceramic finds belonging to the collection of the Musei Civici Pesaro (former Berardi donation) and to the Bonali Collection, Pesaro (allegedely from the city area)].
I Convegno di Archeologia Medievale nelle Marche, Macerata 9-11 maggio 2019 (sez. 'Posters'), 2019
Following a previuos, general overview released through the Antalya conference on 'medieval and m... more Following a previuos, general overview released through the Antalya conference on 'medieval and modern period mediterranean ceramics' in 2015 (see Cesaretti 2018, in this section and 'papers'), this research contains a new, more in-depth analysis of the pottery finds from the site of via dell'Abbdondanza, in Pesaro, particularly the assemblage excavated in 1999-2000. In the current case, we focused specifically on late medieval fine ware, carrying out a thorough quantification of all the pottery sherds that were retrieved from the waste disposal denoted as 'structure 2' (among which 'maiolica arcaica', as we expected, was the most common ware group). The results have proved extremely encouraging, both from the point of view of the reassessment of the medieval chronology of the site (it is worth remembering that via dell'Abbondanza is a pluristratigraphic site, comprising a series of complex chronological sequences, which span the Roman age to the Late Antiquity and the Modern era) and as regards the ceramic assemblage itself. With regard to the latter, the analysis of some particular classes helped us redefine our knowledge of medieval glazed (both tin and lead) pottery in Pesaro around the 14th/15th centuries, throughout a merely stratigraphic apporach (i. e. based on a closed context). Nonetheless, the presence of some clearly imported items provided us with an important piece of information with respect to the circulation of ceramic artefacts along the northern Adriatic in that specific time period. A thorough study of both the medieval and the postmedieval (particularly, Renaissance) pottery found at the site is yet to come. GC
9th International Congress of the AIECM3 on ‘Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics’, theme ‘New discoveries’ (Antalya, Turkey 19-24 October 2015), 2015
Per l'abstract in italiano e altre notizie, vd. supra la sezione 'papers'.
Si rigraziano C. Tassi... more Per l'abstract in italiano e altre notizie, vd. supra la sezione 'papers'. Si rigraziano C. Tassinari per aver concesso la riproduzione della fig. 2 e S. Biondi per il rilievo del mosaico.
For the abstract and other information regarding the excavation and the ceramic finds, see supra the 'papers' section.
Maioliche del Duca. Vocabolario decoro (The Duke's Majoilca: a Vocabulary. Part I - Main decorations), C. Fiocco, G. Gherardi, G. Cesaretti, E. Terenzi, F. Trebbi eds., Pesaro Civic Museums, 2007
This vocabulary was part of vaster resarch project on medieval and renaissance pottery from the P... more This vocabulary was part of vaster resarch project on medieval and renaissance pottery from the Pesaro-Urbino area (Northern Marche region, Italy), dealing specifically with the ceramic evidence along the Metauro river basin between the 14th and the 17th century AD. The project took place between 2005 and 2007, under the supervision of professor Gian Carlo Bojani (at that time, scientific director of the Musei Civici in Pesaro), and involved a complete survey of all the ceramic heritage held at local museums (both displayed and stored in the museums deposits) [the survey, by far, included collections from Musei Civici in Pesaro, Galleria Nazionale delle Marche - Urbino , Casa Natale di Raffaello - Urbino, Museo Civico and Museo Diocesano in Urbania, Pinacoteca and Museo Civico di Palazzo Malatestiano - Fano and was conducted by the writer). The project was promoted and funded by the Marche Region, together with the Province of Pesaro-Urbino and the Municipality of Pesaro, then scientifically supervised by the Superintendence of Fine Arts for the Marche Region (today Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Marche Region) and by the University of Urbino (chair of medieval archaeology).
Vocabulary part 1, Main decorations, was developed in the latest stage of the research and focused primarily on the ceramic evidence from the above mentioned collections/geographric area. Although it can not be considered a general reference book with regard to medieval and modern period italian ceramics, it certainly offers an exceptional overview on a more limited scale, that is that of the province of Pesaro and that of the Sforza and Montefeltro courts, with which is closely intertwined. GC
Maioliche del Duca. Vocabolario decoro (The Duke's Majoilca: a Vocabulary. Part II - Vessel forms), C. Fiocco, G. Gherardi, G. Cesaretti, E. Terenzi, F. Trebbi eds., Pesaro Civic Museums, 2007
This vocabulary was part of vaster resarch project on medieval and renaissance pottery from the P... more This vocabulary was part of vaster resarch project on medieval and renaissance pottery from the Pesaro-Urbino area (Northern Marche region, Italy), dealing specifically with the ceramic evidence along the Metauro river basin between the 14th and the 17th century AD. The project took place between 2005 and 2007, under the supervision of professor Gian Carlo Bojani (at that time, scientific director of the Musei Civici in Pesaro), and involved a complete survey of all the ceramic heritage held at local museums (both displayed and stored in the museums deposits) [the survey, by far, included collections from Musei Civici in Pesaro, Galleria Nazionale delle Marche - Urbino , Casa Natale di Raffaello - Urbino, Museo Civico and Museo Diocesano in Urbania, Pinacoteca and Museo Civico di Palazzo Malatestiano - Fano and was conducted by the writer). The project was promoted and funded by the Marche Region, together with the Province of Pesaro-Urbino and the Municipality of Pesaro, then scientifically supervised by the Superintendence of Fine Arts for the Marche Region (today Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Marche Region) and by the University of Urbino (chair of medieval archaeology).
Vocabulary part 2, Vessel forms, was developed in the latest stage of the research and focused primarily on the ceramic evidence from the above mentioned collections/geographric area. Although it can not be considered a general reference book with regard to medieval and modern period italian ceramic forms, it certainly offers an exceptional overview on a more limited scale, that is that of the province of Pesaro and that of the Sforza and Montefeltro courts, with which is closely intertwined. GC
The international conference on 'The Western Mediterranean in the 5th century', organised by the ... more The international conference on 'The Western Mediterranean in the 5th century', organised by the Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l'Homme (MMSH) and set to take place in Aix-en-Provence from 22 to 24 April 2020, was cancelled due to the covid-19 outbreak. As the conference was not postponed, it will be made available only through its proceedings, between 2020-2021.
Featuring: D. Sacco, A. L. Ermeti, G. Cesaretti, Crisis or rebirth? Northern Marche - and the city of Pesaro - in the 5th century AD.
Programma definitivo del III Convegno del CISEM, Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Storia Cu... more Programma definitivo del III Convegno del CISEM, Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Storia Culture e Civiltà (DISCI), complesso di San Giovanni in Monte, 28-30 ottobre 2019 e Ravenna, 31 ottobre 2019.
Latest schedule of the 3rd International Conference on late antique residential buildings and building techniques, to be held on 28-31 October 2019 at the University of Bologna.
Featuring: D. Sacco, G. Cesaretti, Pesaro in Late Antiquity. New perspectives on the city's transformation between the 5th and the 6th centuries AD.
Programma definitivo del I Convegno di Archeologia Medievale nelle Marche, Università di Macerata... more Programma definitivo del I Convegno di Archeologia Medievale nelle Marche, Università di Macerata, 9-11 Maggio 2019-Aula Magna del Dipartimento di Scienze della formazione, dei Beni culturali e del turismo
Rodis. Journal of Medieval and Post-medieval Archaeology, 4 (2021), pp. 227-251, 2021
IT
Nel presente articolo si traccia un quadro complessivo del materiale ceramico postmedievale r... more IT
Nel presente articolo si traccia un quadro complessivo del materiale ceramico postmedievale recuperato nella Rocca di Bagnara di Romagna (Ravenna), nel corso di indagini archeologiche condotte dalla Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio RA-FC-RN nei primi anni 2000. In quest'ottica, la finalità principale del contributo è quella di evidenziare questioni legate alla circolazione e al consumo della ceramica in un'area periferica rispetto a Ravenna, ma comunque nel raggio di importanti rotte commerciali, considerata la vicinanza ai centri di Imola e Faenza.
EN
The present study aims at providing an overall picture of the post-medieval ceramic assemblage recovered from the castle of Bagnara di Romagna (Ravenna), in the course of archaeological investigations conducted by the local Superintendency in the early 2000s. In this respect, the main purpose of the paper is to investigate matters related to pottery circulation and consumption in a rather peripheral area of the province of Ravenna, nonetheless close to important trade routes, given its vicinity to Faenza and Imola. GC
ES
El presente estudio tiene como objetivo proporcionar una imagen general del conjunto cerámico post-medieval recuperado en el curso de las investigaciones arqueológicas realizadas por la Superintendencia local en el castillo de Bagnara di Romagna (Ravenna) a principios de los años 2000. En este sentido, el objetivo principal del trabajo es investigar asuntos relacionados con la circulación y el uso de cerámica en una zona bastante periférica de la provincia de Ravenna, pero cercana a importantes rutas comerciales por su proximidad a Faenza e Imola. (trad. E. Luzi)
Nel corso dell'anno 2018 l'insegnamento di archeologia medievale dell'Università di Urbino ha avv... more Nel corso dell'anno 2018 l'insegnamento di archeologia medievale dell'Università di Urbino ha avviato la stesura di un progetto di studi e ricerche sulla città di Pesaro nel Medioevo. Le ricerche sulla città, come necessaria fase propedeutica, si sono dirette verso lo studio dei dati editi - e sul reperimento di dati inediti (anche da fonti documentarie) - aventi come oggetto il periodo compreso tra il Tardoantico e il basso Medioevo. Il presente contributo, analizzando le informazioni esistenti sui principali contesti tardoantichi della città di Pesaro, intende fare il punto sulla situazione insediativa del cosiddetto "Quartiere di San Terenzio" che occupava la superficie orientale della città, quella prossima alla cinta muraria di età romana e al litorale. Si presenterà una sintesi dei dati provenienti da contesti oggetto di nuove ricerche a cura dell'Università di Urbino, accanto ad altre notizie inedite a cura di SABAP Marche (area di via dell'Abbondanza, scavi 1999-2005), ponendo il dato in relazione con l'intero tessuto cittadino.
Atti del I Convegno Internazionale di Archeologia Medievale nelle Marche (Macerata, 9-11 maggio 2019), a cura di U. Moscatelli, D. Sacco, Bologna 2021, pp. 341-346, 2021
Following a previuos, general overview released through the Antalya conference on 'medieval and m... more Following a previuos, general overview released through the Antalya conference on 'medieval and modern period mediterranean ceramics' in 2015 (see Cesaretti 2018, in this section and 'papers'), this research contains a new, more in-depth analysis of the pottery finds from the site of via dell'Abbdondanza, in Pesaro, particularly the assemblage excavated in 1999-2000. In the current case, we focused specifically on late medieval fine ware, carrying out a thorough quantification of all the pottery sherds that were retrieved from the waste disposal denoted as 'structure 2' (among which 'maiolica arcaica', as we expected, was the most common ware group). The results have proved extremely encouraging, both from the point of view of the reassessment of the medieval chronology of the site (it is worth remembering that via dell'Abbondanza is a pluristratigraphic site, comprising a series of complex chronological sequences, which span the Roman age to the Late Antiquity and the Modern era) and as regards the ceramic assemblage itself. With regard to the latter, the analysis of some particular classes helped us redefine our knowledge of medieval glazed (both tin and lead) pottery in Pesaro around the 14th/15th centuries, throughout a secure stratigraphic apporach (i. e. based on a closed context). Nonetheless, the presence of some clearly imported items provided us with an important piece of information with respect to the circulation of ceramic artefacts along the northern Adriatic in that specific time period. A thorough study of both the medieval and the postmedieval (particularly, Renaissance) pottery found at the site is yet to come. GC
Proceedings of the 11th Congress AIECM3 on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics (Antalya 2015), vol. 2, Ankara 2018, pp. 401-404, 2018
Il lavoro qui presentato è il risultato di una ricerca preliminare condotta su un gruppo di ceram... more Il lavoro qui presentato è il risultato di una ricerca preliminare condotta su un gruppo di ceramiche medievali e rinascimentali provenienti dal sito archeologico di via dell’Abbondanza, a Pesaro. I materiali di cui si dà notizia giacevano all’interno di alcune strutture di epoca medievale, costruite su un sedime archeologico complesso, nell'ambito di un sito pluristratificato comprendente, nelle sue fasi più antiche, anche strutture di epoca romana (databili tra l'età repubblicana e la tarda età imperiale); all'interno di una delle strutture risalenti al periodo medievale (str. 2) fu possibile isolare una grande quantità di materiali archeologici, assieme ad un abbondante nucleo di ceramiche databili complessivamente tra il XIII e il XVII secolo. Ad un esame più attento, tuttavia, si è notato come la maggior parte delle ceramiche fosse databile tra la fine del Medioevo ed il primo Rinascimento (ultima parte del XV sec.). L'indagine ha permesso di ipotizzare che le strutture fossero state create, inizialmente, come luoghi per la conservazione del cibo e in un secondo tempo, con molta probabilità, trasformate in vasche per lo smaltimento dei rifiuti. I materiali ceramici fin qui esaminati (XIV- prima metà del XVI sec.) appaiono riconducibili ad un contesto sociale elevato, forse ad un nucleo familiare che abitava nelle immediate vicinanze dei vani di scarico. GC
In & Around Pottery, Ceramica e comunità. Secondo convegno tematico dell'AIECM3 (Faenza, 17-19 aprile 2015), a cura di M. Ferri, C. Moine, L. Sabbionesi, Firenze 2016, pp. 144-150, 2016
Waste Disposal Practices in Late Medieval Ferrara: a Few Observations on some New and Major Conte... more Waste Disposal Practices in Late Medieval Ferrara: a Few Observations on some New and Major Contexts
The paper sums up the results of a series of archaeological investigations that were carried out in the city of Ferrara between the 1990s and the years 2000. In particular, the research focuses on waste disposal practices in Ferrara during the Middle Ages, especially on a particualr category of underground chambers, which served as rubbish pits, within the urban area, between the 2nd half of 14th and the 16th century. Generally, these structures had the shape of brick-built chambers with a vaulted ceiling. Thus far, at least 12 such rooms have been excavated in the city, most of which were found in connection with aristocratic or upper middle-class domestic contexts, albeit associations with religious complexes are also attested. Archaeologically, these chambers are of great importance from the point of view of their content, as they have provided a vast amount of information as far as the economy of the city in the late Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance is concerned. In this paper, three different structures have been examined specifically, each one representative of any category: 1. aristocratic contexts (related to the Este family), 2. domestic contexts and finally 3. religious contexts. CG, GC
Food and the City. Il cibo e la città, VII Congresso AISU (Milano-Padova, 2-5 settembre 2015), C26 Archeologia dell'alimentazione. Il cibo come indicatore sociale degli insediamenti (authors: C. Guarnieri, G. Cesaretti, G. Bosi, L. Dal Fiume, M. Mazzanti, V. Caselli, I. Ansaloni, A. Pederzoli), 2015
Navi, relitti e porti: il commercio marittimo della ceramica medievale e post-medievale, Atti del... more Navi, relitti e porti: il commercio marittimo della ceramica medievale e post-medievale, Atti del 45° Convegno Internazionale della Ceramica (Savona, 25-26 maggio 2012), pp. 205-216, 2012 (con C. Guarnieri)
La ceramica post-medievale nel Mediterraneo. Gli indicatori cronologici: secoli XVI-XVII, Atti del 44° Convegno Internazionale della Ceramica (Savona, 27-28 maggio 2011), pp. 123-136, 2011
Annali dell'Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori di Ferrara, vol. 8, n. 1 (2014), pp. 1-533 (monographic issue) (PhD thesis in Sciences and Technologies for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, University of Ferrara-Univ. of Modena and Reggio Emilia-Univ. of Siena, 25th cycle, 2010-2012), 2014
IT
Questo lavoro rappresenta la terza ed ultima parte di un progetto di ricerca portato avanti d... more IT
Questo lavoro rappresenta la terza ed ultima parte di un progetto di ricerca portato avanti dall'Università di Ferrara tra il 2008 ed il 2012, che ha avuto come principale obiettivo la riscoperta ed il punto sullo status quaestions sulla ceramica ferrarese di epoca medievale e rinascimentale, in particolare la classe delle ingobbiate.
I materiali ceramici di cui ci siamo occupati in prima persona, nel presente studio, provengono da due contesti molto diversi tra loro: da un lato un deposito archeologico (US1050) ed una raccolta di stampo antiquario (coll. Carife) dall'altro.
Per quanto riguarda il deposito, si tratta di una vasca sotterranea per rifiuti, rinvenuta in piazza Municipio a Ferrara nei primi anni 2000, oggetto di una recente ed esaustiva pubblicazione curata da C. Guarnieri della Soprintendenza per la città metropolitana di Bologna e le province di Modena, Reggio Emilia e Ferrara, contenente, tra gli altri, alcuni contributi dello scrivente inerenti proprio i materiali ceramici della vasca, a cui quindi rimandiamo (cfr. Ferrara al tempo di Ecole I d'Este. Scavi archeologici, restauri e riqualificazione urbana nel centro storico della città, a cura di C. Guarnieri, Firenze 2018).
Del tutto inedito, invece, l'esame condotto sul lotto A di proprietà della Fondazione Carife, comprende 362 manufatti, databili tra la seconda metà del XIV e la seconda metà del XVI sec. ca., comprendenti essenzialmente ceramiche ingobbiate e smaltate.
Diversamente dalla US1050, questo nucleo non presenta una provenienza unitaria, ma rappresenta il frutto di un’accurata selezione da parte dell’uomo: quasi il 90% dei materiali è costituito, infatti, da ingobbiate graffite; inoltre, non sono oggetti frammentari, ma solo oggetti integri, semi-integri (spesso restaurati).
Il lotto A non ha restituito notizie di carattere storico, intendendo con ciò la possibilità di risalire alle tappe fondamentali di formazione della raccolta.
Anche per questo motivo, ma non solo, la nostra lettura è stata fortemente critica, nei confronti soprattutto della precedente letteratura, nel tentativo di ristabilire un giusto equilibrio tra gli studi più conservatori, generalmente a carattere locale, e le tendenze più attuali della ceramologia, per cui il dato archeologico sta diventando un riferimento sempre più indispensabile ai fini della ricerca e della datazione, a prescindere dalla personale formazione.
Questo lavoro, che nasce come tesi di dottorato in Scienze e tecnologie per l'archeologia e i beni culturali, XXV ciclo, presso l'Università di Ferrara, ha ricevuto il premio come miglior tesi dottorale della classe di Lettere nel 2013, successivamente pubblicato nella collana degli Annali dello IUSS di Ferrara. GC
EN
This work is the third and last part of a research project whose primary purpose was to revise the role and the function of late medieval pottery (particularly sgraffito ware) recovered in the city of Ferrara, in the Emilia Romagna region. The ceramic materials which we considered in our study belong to two different assemblages: on the one hand an underground rubbish pit excavated in 2001 in Ferrara's Municipal Square (anciently the city’s Ducal Courtyard) (US 1050), on other hand the Carife Foundation collection of objets d’art (group A). These assemblages diverge markedly from one another, starting from the type of formation, that is an archaeological deposit, once used as waste disposal (Municipal square), and (Carife coll.) a group of objects from antiques trade and auctions; nevertheless, what brings them together is the high percetange of late-medieval ceramics, particularly slip-coated wares with incised decorations. The analysis of the pottery finds from the pit resulted in the following data: a total of 4066 ceramic sherds (omitting illegible pieces, from now on: sh.), that become 4118 if we add kiln waste products (that is a few biscuit-fired wasters). Of these, 1439 are single sh., whereas 2627 represent units (joining in some cases), forming a total of 476 individuals (or MNV = minimum number of vessels) plus a group of 92 restored pieces. As far as the chronology is concerned, both the written sources and the type of ceramic associations appeared to indicate the second half of the 15th c. ca. as a possible terminus ante quem for the pit (US 1050 is a rather secure context, as it was found sealed some metres under the square).
Conversely, the ceramics which belong to Carife's group A comprise a total of 362 items dating between ca. the second half of the 14th and the second half of the 16th centuries; ware groups here include mainly slip-coated wares and medieval tin-glazed wares, though unlike US 1050, these ceramics do not represent a unit, in view of the fact that they do not come from stratigraphic excavations, but were intentionally grouped together in the course of the last three decades of the 20th century; almost 90% of the pieces consists of sgraffiato wares, restored in most of the cases.
Unfortunately, group A lacks all sorts of documentation concerning its formation prior to Carife's acquisition and no record is available with regard either the possible owner/s and/or dealers, and the provenance of the objects (allegedly Ferrara).
Owing to this, these ceramics could only be examined through a comparison with archaeological materials from excavations carried out to scientifical standards, with special regard the north-eastern part of Italy.
The present work, which was originally submitted as a PhD thesis at the University of Ferrara, was awarded best doctoral thesis within the Faculty of Huminities at the University of Ferrara, then published in the Annali dell'Istituto di Studi Superiori of Ferrara series. GC
Ceramica graffita ferrarese. Materiali per una bibliografia ragionata (Sgraffito Ware from Ferrar... more Ceramica graffita ferrarese. Materiali per una bibliografia ragionata (Sgraffito Ware from Ferrara. A Reasoned Bibliography), G. Cesaretti, L. Bonazzi, I. Galvani eds. (with a foreword by G. C. Bojani), Firenze 2011.
Due to copyright reasons, the book could not be uploaded as a whole. Should anyone be interested, however, do not hesitate to contact me [cesarettigcm(at)gmail.com] or borrow it at the nearest libraries.
Il Genio delle Acque. Scavi nelle piazze di Ravenna, C. Guarnieri, G. Montevecchi eds., Ravenna 2018, pp. 293-315.
The volume ‘The Genius of Waters. Archaeological excavations in two of the main squares of Ravenn... more The volume ‘The Genius of Waters. Archaeological excavations in two of the main squares of Ravenna (piazza A. Garibaldi and piazza A. Costa)’, edited by C. Guarnieri and G. Montevecchi, includes the results of two recent (as of 2009-2011) investigations conducted in the centre of Ravenna by the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the City of Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena and Rimini, both focused on the presence of 'waters' in the city. The excavation carried out in A. Garibaldi square (2011), to start with, brought to light, along with a complex stratification, two distinct Roman houses paved with mosaics (depicting a fluvial god, among other motifs), that were subsequently merged into one, marking an exceptionally long continuity of use (ca. 1st c. AD–7th c.), before being replaced by a new building, possibly connected with cultual functions. On the other hand, A. Costa square, located in an area of the city where, according to written records, the Padenna channel would originally flow into the Flumisellum Padennae, yielded the remains of the so called Casa Matha, that is the city’s old Fish Market, which used to occupy the 'piazza' until its relocation, at the end of the 18th century. My contribution to this volume concerned the analysis of the medieval and post-medieval pottery finds from both sites (A. Costa clearly the most articulated one, in this perspective), a research that stands among the few, available works on medieval and modern stratified artifacts from the city of Ravenna, so far. The volume is available at libraries in Italy and worldwide, following the links below. GC
Italy: http://id.sbn.it/bid/UBO4322448;
Rest of the world: https://www.worldcat.org/title/genio-delle-acque-scavi-nelle-piazze-di-ravenna/oclc/1039817213&referer=brief_results#borrow
The Dowry of Beatrice. Italian Art and the Court of King Matthias. Exhibition Catalogue, G. Balla and Z. Jékely eds, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest 2008, pp. 41-54, 2008
La mostra sull'arte italiana alla corte del re Mattia Corvino d'Ungheria è stata l'occasione, nel... more La mostra sull'arte italiana alla corte del re Mattia Corvino d'Ungheria è stata l'occasione, nel 2008, per tracciare un primo status quaestionis sulla ceramica rinascimentale a Pesaro secondo una prospettiva deliberatamente archeologica (partendo, forse in maniera ardita, da materiali totalmente decontestualizzati: i frammenti ceramici della collezione dei Musei Civici di Pesaro). Ad oggi, nel suo complesso, lo studio della ceramica pesarese (non solo rinascimentale) è stato quasi interamente affrontato sulla base di materiali antiquari o astratigrafici (principalmente le raccolte che P. Berardi, medico appassionato di cultura materiale, nonché raccoglitore seriale negli sterri della Pesaro anni '80, donò ai suddetti Musei nel corso degli anni '90 del sec. scorso), sostanzialmente privi di indicazione di provenienza (forse recuperati in area urbana, ma da sterri comunque incontrollati), cui sono state però spesso associate informazioni archeologiche (datazioni e provenienze certe), in netto contrasto, dunque, con il loro reale valore documentario. Oltre a gettare luce su questioni di tipo metodologico, tuttavia, l'articolo contiene anche un breve excursus sui possibili rapporti tra la maiolica pesarese del tardo Quattrocento e le produzioni ceramiche ungheresi alla corte di Mattia Corvino (ultimo quarto del XV sec.). Il catalogo allegato offre una panoramica su alcuni materiali di fine XV-inizio XVI sec. da sterri urbani a Pesaro (stando alle poche fonti d'archivio disponibili), attualmente in deposito presso i Musei Civici cittadini. GC
The Dowry of Beatrice. Italian Art and the Court of King Matthias. Exhibition Catalogue, G. Balla... more The Dowry of Beatrice. Italian Art and the Court of King Matthias. Exhibition Catalogue, G. Balla and Z. Jékely eds, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest 2008, catalogue entries n. 3.6 (p. 151), 3.12 (p. 155), 3.13-3.15 (pp. 156-157), 3.24 (p. 163), 3.27-3.28 (pp. 166-167), 3.32-3.35 (pp. 170-171), 3.40-3.45 (pp. 175-178), 3.47 (pp. 179-180), 3.49 (p. 181), 3.51 (p. 184) [ceramic finds belonging to the collection of the Musei Civici Pesaro (former Berardi donation) and to the Bonali Collection, Pesaro (allegedely from the city area)].
I Convegno di Archeologia Medievale nelle Marche, Macerata 9-11 maggio 2019 (sez. 'Posters'), 2019
Following a previuos, general overview released through the Antalya conference on 'medieval and m... more Following a previuos, general overview released through the Antalya conference on 'medieval and modern period mediterranean ceramics' in 2015 (see Cesaretti 2018, in this section and 'papers'), this research contains a new, more in-depth analysis of the pottery finds from the site of via dell'Abbdondanza, in Pesaro, particularly the assemblage excavated in 1999-2000. In the current case, we focused specifically on late medieval fine ware, carrying out a thorough quantification of all the pottery sherds that were retrieved from the waste disposal denoted as 'structure 2' (among which 'maiolica arcaica', as we expected, was the most common ware group). The results have proved extremely encouraging, both from the point of view of the reassessment of the medieval chronology of the site (it is worth remembering that via dell'Abbondanza is a pluristratigraphic site, comprising a series of complex chronological sequences, which span the Roman age to the Late Antiquity and the Modern era) and as regards the ceramic assemblage itself. With regard to the latter, the analysis of some particular classes helped us redefine our knowledge of medieval glazed (both tin and lead) pottery in Pesaro around the 14th/15th centuries, throughout a merely stratigraphic apporach (i. e. based on a closed context). Nonetheless, the presence of some clearly imported items provided us with an important piece of information with respect to the circulation of ceramic artefacts along the northern Adriatic in that specific time period. A thorough study of both the medieval and the postmedieval (particularly, Renaissance) pottery found at the site is yet to come. GC
9th International Congress of the AIECM3 on ‘Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics’, theme ‘New discoveries’ (Antalya, Turkey 19-24 October 2015), 2015
Per l'abstract in italiano e altre notizie, vd. supra la sezione 'papers'.
Si rigraziano C. Tassi... more Per l'abstract in italiano e altre notizie, vd. supra la sezione 'papers'. Si rigraziano C. Tassinari per aver concesso la riproduzione della fig. 2 e S. Biondi per il rilievo del mosaico.
For the abstract and other information regarding the excavation and the ceramic finds, see supra the 'papers' section.
Maioliche del Duca. Vocabolario decoro (The Duke's Majoilca: a Vocabulary. Part I - Main decorations), C. Fiocco, G. Gherardi, G. Cesaretti, E. Terenzi, F. Trebbi eds., Pesaro Civic Museums, 2007
This vocabulary was part of vaster resarch project on medieval and renaissance pottery from the P... more This vocabulary was part of vaster resarch project on medieval and renaissance pottery from the Pesaro-Urbino area (Northern Marche region, Italy), dealing specifically with the ceramic evidence along the Metauro river basin between the 14th and the 17th century AD. The project took place between 2005 and 2007, under the supervision of professor Gian Carlo Bojani (at that time, scientific director of the Musei Civici in Pesaro), and involved a complete survey of all the ceramic heritage held at local museums (both displayed and stored in the museums deposits) [the survey, by far, included collections from Musei Civici in Pesaro, Galleria Nazionale delle Marche - Urbino , Casa Natale di Raffaello - Urbino, Museo Civico and Museo Diocesano in Urbania, Pinacoteca and Museo Civico di Palazzo Malatestiano - Fano and was conducted by the writer). The project was promoted and funded by the Marche Region, together with the Province of Pesaro-Urbino and the Municipality of Pesaro, then scientifically supervised by the Superintendence of Fine Arts for the Marche Region (today Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Marche Region) and by the University of Urbino (chair of medieval archaeology).
Vocabulary part 1, Main decorations, was developed in the latest stage of the research and focused primarily on the ceramic evidence from the above mentioned collections/geographric area. Although it can not be considered a general reference book with regard to medieval and modern period italian ceramics, it certainly offers an exceptional overview on a more limited scale, that is that of the province of Pesaro and that of the Sforza and Montefeltro courts, with which is closely intertwined. GC
Maioliche del Duca. Vocabolario decoro (The Duke's Majoilca: a Vocabulary. Part II - Vessel forms), C. Fiocco, G. Gherardi, G. Cesaretti, E. Terenzi, F. Trebbi eds., Pesaro Civic Museums, 2007
This vocabulary was part of vaster resarch project on medieval and renaissance pottery from the P... more This vocabulary was part of vaster resarch project on medieval and renaissance pottery from the Pesaro-Urbino area (Northern Marche region, Italy), dealing specifically with the ceramic evidence along the Metauro river basin between the 14th and the 17th century AD. The project took place between 2005 and 2007, under the supervision of professor Gian Carlo Bojani (at that time, scientific director of the Musei Civici in Pesaro), and involved a complete survey of all the ceramic heritage held at local museums (both displayed and stored in the museums deposits) [the survey, by far, included collections from Musei Civici in Pesaro, Galleria Nazionale delle Marche - Urbino , Casa Natale di Raffaello - Urbino, Museo Civico and Museo Diocesano in Urbania, Pinacoteca and Museo Civico di Palazzo Malatestiano - Fano and was conducted by the writer). The project was promoted and funded by the Marche Region, together with the Province of Pesaro-Urbino and the Municipality of Pesaro, then scientifically supervised by the Superintendence of Fine Arts for the Marche Region (today Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Marche Region) and by the University of Urbino (chair of medieval archaeology).
Vocabulary part 2, Vessel forms, was developed in the latest stage of the research and focused primarily on the ceramic evidence from the above mentioned collections/geographric area. Although it can not be considered a general reference book with regard to medieval and modern period italian ceramic forms, it certainly offers an exceptional overview on a more limited scale, that is that of the province of Pesaro and that of the Sforza and Montefeltro courts, with which is closely intertwined. GC
Ferrara, Palazzo Municipale, Salone d'Onore (25 gennaio-19 febbraio 2016); Ferrara, Museo Archeologico Nazionale (23 febbraio-20 marzo 2016); Voghiera (Fe), Reggia Estense di Belriguardo (26 marzo-20 aprile 2016); Abbazia di Pomposa, Codigoro (Fe) (18 agosto-17 settembre 2017), 2016
Main theme of photographic exhibition 'Voci dalle pietre. Marmi romani e bizantini a Ferrara’ (Ro... more Main theme of photographic exhibition 'Voci dalle pietre. Marmi romani e bizantini a Ferrara’ (Roman and Byzantine Marbles in Ferrara) was the decorative (and symbolic ?) reuse of roman and byzantine spolia in medieval and modern Ferrara, particularly in the realm of urban religious architecture. The temporary exhibition, which was held in different locations of the province of Ferrara throughout 2016-2017 (among which the legendary Abbey of Pomposa, part of Unesco Heritage), was Fede Berti (National Museum of Archaeology, Ferrara), while Giovanna Bucci, Giacomo Cesaretti, Alberto Ravani and Letizia Sotira provided catalogue entries for each of the monuments involved in the survey. The exhibition featured a wide range of materials, among which a group of roman sculptures and inscriptions lately reused to adorn the Cathedral's facade (the latter dating back to the 12th century), along with a pair of early byzantine columns, just to cite a few, recycled in the 16th century ca. during the construction of the church of S. Apollonia, now part of the National Museum of Archaeology of Ferrara. As of 2018, the complete catalogue has not yet been made available to the public. GC
Excerpt from 'Voci dalle Pietre. Marmi romani e bizantini a Ferrara', Ferrara-Voghiera-Abbazia di Pomposa 2016-2017 (see above) (author's final draft)
Exhibition entries part of the above mentioned 'Voci dalle Pietre. Marmi romani e bizantini a Fer... more Exhibition entries part of the above mentioned 'Voci dalle Pietre. Marmi romani e bizantini a Ferrara'; materials examined include the late ancient portrait (clipeus), allegedly of a goddess, and the roman friezes now installed in the main facade of the Cathedral (12th century), the roman capital in the church of S. Giorgio (built around the 7th-8th century, but totally renewed in the 15th century) and the byzantine columns that today frame the portal of the church of S. Apollonia (completed around the end of the 16th century). The latter, in particular, may be of great interest, since no one has yet undertaken a detailed study of the possible provenance of the semicolumns and the entry, therefore, represents a first step towards a more in depth analysis. Some hypothesis have been proposed, but they still rely largely on assumptions; that being said, we know that these semicolumns were probably carved in marmor troadense, which is a granitoid rock found in the Troas, in present-day Turkey, from where it spread all over the Mediterranean, especially from the 2nd century A. D. Reuse of this ancient marble was rather common in Italy during the Middle Ages and the Renassaince, that is to say a span of time that coincides, broadly, with the repositioning of the columns in the city of Ferrara. GC
Ferrara, Museo Archeologico Nazionale (6 aprile-6 settembre 2014), a cura di Chiara Guarnieri
The exhibition 'Ferrara al tempo di Ercole I d'Este' (Ferrara under duke Ercole I d’Este. Archaeo... more The exhibition 'Ferrara al tempo di Ercole I d'Este' (Ferrara under duke Ercole I d’Este. Archaeological excavations and urban requalification of the city), curated by Chiara Guarnieri (Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the City of Bologna and the provinces of Modena, Reggio Emilia, Ferrara), took place at Museo Archeologico Nazionale of Ferrara in 2014. Taking cue from recent (as of 2014) excavations carried out in the city centre [particularly around the city square, the Este (Estense) Castle and the Duchess's Garden (originally Eleonora of Aragon's private garden)], formerly the core of the Este power between 14th-15th centuries, the exhibition featured a selection of archaeological materials belonging to the Este's domestic sphere (particularly pottery, tiles and glass, along with coins, stone artefacts, etc.), retrieved primarily from sealed contexts (principally contexts 1050, 1006) and displayed here for the very first time. The exhibition was made possible by the above mentioned Superintendency, along with the National Museum of Archaeology of Ferrara, where it was held from April 6 to July 13, 2014 (extended until September 6, 2014), in collaboration with Giacomo Cesaretti and Cecilia Vallini (pottery and material culture), Giovanna Bosi (the reconstruction of the Este's diet, based on plant and seed remains), as well the museum's staff . GC
Selected bibliography (as of 2018):
2018 (ultimate, covering all the items part of the exhibition) Ferrara al tempo di Ercole I d'Este. Scavi archeologici, restauri e riqualificazione urbana nel centro storico della città, C. Guarnieri ed., Firenze 2018 [feat. contributions (among others) by: M. Bandini Mazzanti, L. Bonazzi, G. Bosi, G. Cesaretti, X. Gonzales Muro, C. Guarnieri, M. T. Gulinelli, M. Librenti, S. Nepoti, C. Vallini] (with complete bibliography, as of 2018) (check for availability in libraries in Italy: http://id.sbn.it/bid/UFE1012416; worldwide: https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=isbn%3A9788878148246).
2014 G. Cesaretti, Nuovi dati per una storia della ceramica graffita tardomedievale a Ferrara. Materiali dalla US1050 di piazza Municipio e dalla collezione Carife, in 'Annali dell'Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori di Ferrara', vol. 8, n. 1 (2014) (monographic issue) (PhD thesis in Sciences and Technologies for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, University of Ferrara, 25° cycle),(available at:http://annali.unife.it/iuss/search/authors/view?firstName=Giacomo&middleName=&lastName=Cesaretti&affiliation=&country=).
2009 G. Bosi, A. M. Mercuri, C. Guarnieri, M. Bandini Mazzanti, Luxury Food and Ornamental Plants at the 15th Century A.D. Renaissance Court of the Este Family (Ferrara, Northern Italy), in 'Vegetation History and Archaeobotany', 18 (2009), pp. 389–402 (https://iris.unimore.it/handle/11380/595464#.Xw8uLygzZPY).
Budapest, Museum of Applied Arts, March 26-June 30 2008
The exhibition 'Beatrix Hozománya – Az Itáliai Majolikaművészet Kezdetei és Mátyás Udvara (The Do... more The exhibition 'Beatrix Hozománya – Az Itáliai Majolikaművészet Kezdetei és Mátyás Udvara (The Dowry of Beatrice – Italian Art and the Court of King Matthias)', curated by Gabriella Balla and Zsombor Jékely (Iparművészeti Múzeum - Musueum of Applied Arts, Budapest, from now on: MAA), took place in Budapest, at MAA, from 25 March to 30 June 2008. In 2009, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Magyar Tudományos Akadémia), further to a vote of the members of the History of Art Commitee, awarded the exhibition with the Opus mirabile: in fact, it was judged, together with its catalogue, one of the best cultural projects ever held Hungary in 2008. Gian Carlo Bojani (1938-2013), who was the scientific director of the Civic Museums of Pesaro in 2008, contributed to the exhibition with a selection of (lesser known) artifacts from the museum collections, at the same time involving a group of italian scholars and researchers throughout the entire span of the project (among whom G. Cesaretti, C. Paolinelli and C. Ravanelli Guidotti).GC More information in the attached article: G. Cesaretti, Un premio per l’eredità di Beatrice (An Award for the Inheritance of Beatrice), in «D’A. Rivista d’Arti Applicate», 79/80 (2010), pp. 17-19. GC
Uploads
Featuring:
D. Sacco, A. L. Ermeti, G. Cesaretti, Crisis or rebirth? Northern Marche - and the city of Pesaro - in the 5th century AD.
Latest schedule of the 3rd International Conference on late antique residential buildings and building techniques, to be held on 28-31 October 2019 at the University of Bologna.
Featuring:
D. Sacco, G. Cesaretti, Pesaro in Late Antiquity. New perspectives on the city's transformation between the 5th and the 6th centuries AD.
Nel presente articolo si traccia un quadro complessivo del materiale ceramico postmedievale recuperato nella Rocca di Bagnara di Romagna (Ravenna), nel corso di indagini archeologiche condotte dalla Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio RA-FC-RN nei primi anni 2000. In quest'ottica, la finalità principale del contributo è quella di evidenziare questioni legate alla circolazione e al consumo della ceramica in un'area periferica rispetto a Ravenna, ma comunque nel raggio di importanti rotte commerciali, considerata la vicinanza ai centri di Imola e Faenza.
EN
The present study aims at providing an overall picture of the post-medieval ceramic assemblage recovered from the castle of Bagnara di Romagna (Ravenna), in the course of archaeological investigations conducted by the local Superintendency in the early 2000s. In this respect, the main purpose of the paper is to investigate matters related to pottery circulation and consumption in a rather peripheral area of the province of Ravenna, nonetheless close to important trade routes, given its vicinity to Faenza and Imola. GC
ES
El presente estudio tiene como objetivo proporcionar una imagen general del conjunto cerámico post-medieval recuperado en el curso de las investigaciones arqueológicas realizadas por la Superintendencia local en el castillo de Bagnara di Romagna (Ravenna) a principios de los años 2000. En este sentido, el objetivo principal del trabajo es investigar asuntos relacionados con la circulación y el uso de cerámica en una zona bastante periférica de la provincia de Ravenna, pero cercana a importantes rutas comerciales por su proximidad a Faenza e Imola. (trad. E. Luzi)
The complete issue of Rodis n. 4, 2021 is available at the link below:
https://www.documentauniversitaria.media/rodis/index.php/rodis
Le ricerche sulla città, come necessaria fase propedeutica, si sono dirette verso lo studio dei dati editi - e sul reperimento di dati inediti (anche da fonti documentarie) - aventi come oggetto il periodo compreso tra il Tardoantico e il basso Medioevo.
Il presente contributo, analizzando le informazioni esistenti sui principali contesti tardoantichi della città di Pesaro, intende fare il punto sulla situazione insediativa del cosiddetto "Quartiere di San Terenzio" che occupava la superficie orientale della città, quella prossima alla cinta muraria di età romana e al litorale.
Si presenterà una sintesi dei dati provenienti da contesti oggetto di nuove ricerche a cura dell'Università di Urbino, accanto ad altre notizie inedite a cura di SABAP Marche (area di via dell'Abbondanza, scavi 1999-2005), ponendo il dato in relazione con l'intero tessuto cittadino.
The paper sums up the results of a series of archaeological investigations that were carried out in the city of Ferrara between the 1990s and the years 2000. In particular, the research focuses on waste disposal practices in Ferrara during the Middle Ages, especially on a particualr category of underground chambers, which served as rubbish pits, within the urban area, between the 2nd half of 14th and the 16th century.
Generally, these structures had the shape of brick-built chambers with a vaulted ceiling. Thus far, at least 12 such rooms have been excavated in the city, most of which were found in connection with aristocratic or upper middle-class domestic contexts, albeit associations with religious complexes are also attested.
Archaeologically, these chambers are of great importance from the point of view of their content, as they have provided a vast amount of information as far as the economy of the city in the late Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance is concerned.
In this paper, three different structures have been examined specifically, each one representative of any category: 1. aristocratic contexts (related to the Este family), 2. domestic contexts and finally 3. religious contexts. CG, GC
Questo lavoro rappresenta la terza ed ultima parte di un progetto di ricerca portato avanti dall'Università di Ferrara tra il 2008 ed il 2012, che ha avuto come principale obiettivo la riscoperta ed il punto sullo status quaestions sulla ceramica ferrarese di epoca medievale e rinascimentale, in particolare la classe delle ingobbiate.
I materiali ceramici di cui ci siamo occupati in prima persona, nel presente studio, provengono da due contesti molto diversi tra loro: da un lato un deposito archeologico (US1050) ed una raccolta di stampo antiquario (coll. Carife) dall'altro.
Per quanto riguarda il deposito, si tratta di una vasca sotterranea per rifiuti, rinvenuta in piazza Municipio a Ferrara nei primi anni 2000, oggetto di una recente ed esaustiva pubblicazione curata da C. Guarnieri della Soprintendenza per la città metropolitana di Bologna e le province di Modena, Reggio Emilia e Ferrara, contenente, tra gli altri, alcuni contributi dello scrivente inerenti proprio i materiali ceramici della vasca, a cui quindi rimandiamo (cfr. Ferrara al tempo di Ecole I d'Este. Scavi archeologici, restauri e riqualificazione urbana nel centro storico della città, a cura di C. Guarnieri, Firenze 2018).
Del tutto inedito, invece, l'esame condotto sul lotto A di proprietà della Fondazione Carife, comprende 362 manufatti, databili tra la seconda metà del XIV e la seconda metà del XVI sec. ca., comprendenti essenzialmente ceramiche ingobbiate e smaltate.
Diversamente dalla US1050, questo nucleo non presenta una provenienza unitaria, ma rappresenta il frutto di un’accurata selezione da parte dell’uomo: quasi il 90% dei materiali è costituito, infatti, da ingobbiate graffite; inoltre, non sono oggetti frammentari, ma solo oggetti integri, semi-integri (spesso restaurati).
Il lotto A non ha restituito notizie di carattere storico, intendendo con ciò la possibilità di risalire alle tappe fondamentali di formazione della raccolta.
Anche per questo motivo, ma non solo, la nostra lettura è stata fortemente critica, nei confronti soprattutto della precedente letteratura, nel tentativo di ristabilire un giusto equilibrio tra gli studi più conservatori, generalmente a carattere locale, e le tendenze più attuali della ceramologia, per cui il dato archeologico sta diventando un riferimento sempre più indispensabile ai fini della ricerca e della datazione, a prescindere dalla personale formazione.
Questo lavoro, che nasce come tesi di dottorato in Scienze e tecnologie per l'archeologia e i beni culturali, XXV ciclo, presso l'Università di Ferrara, ha ricevuto il premio come miglior tesi dottorale della classe di Lettere nel 2013, successivamente pubblicato nella collana degli Annali dello IUSS di Ferrara. GC
La versione integrale è scaricabile al link seguente:
http://annali.unife.it/iuss/search/authors/view?firstName=Giacomo&middleName=&lastName=Cesaretti&affiliation=&country=
EN
This work is the third and last part of a research project whose primary purpose was to revise the role and the function of late medieval pottery (particularly sgraffito ware) recovered in the city of Ferrara, in the Emilia Romagna region. The ceramic materials which we considered in our study belong to two different assemblages: on the one hand an underground rubbish pit excavated in 2001 in Ferrara's Municipal Square (anciently the city’s Ducal Courtyard) (US 1050), on other hand the Carife Foundation collection of objets d’art (group A). These assemblages diverge markedly from one another, starting from the type of formation, that is an archaeological deposit, once used as waste disposal (Municipal square), and (Carife coll.) a group of objects from antiques trade and auctions; nevertheless, what brings them together is the high percetange of late-medieval ceramics, particularly slip-coated wares with incised decorations. The analysis of the pottery finds from the pit resulted in the following data: a total of 4066 ceramic sherds (omitting illegible pieces, from now on: sh.), that become 4118 if we add kiln waste products (that is a few biscuit-fired wasters). Of these, 1439 are single sh., whereas 2627 represent units (joining in some cases), forming a total of 476 individuals (or MNV = minimum number of vessels) plus a group of 92 restored pieces. As far as the chronology is concerned, both the written sources and the type of ceramic associations appeared to indicate the second half of the 15th c. ca. as a possible terminus ante quem for the pit (US 1050 is a rather secure context, as it was found sealed some metres under the square).
Conversely, the ceramics which belong to Carife's group A comprise a total of 362 items dating between ca. the second half of the 14th and the second half of the 16th centuries; ware groups here include mainly slip-coated wares and medieval tin-glazed wares, though unlike US 1050, these ceramics do not represent a unit, in view of the fact that they do not come from stratigraphic excavations, but were intentionally grouped together in the course of the last three decades of the 20th century; almost 90% of the pieces consists of sgraffiato wares, restored in most of the cases.
Unfortunately, group A lacks all sorts of documentation concerning its formation prior to Carife's acquisition and no record is available with regard either the possible owner/s and/or dealers, and the provenance of the objects (allegedly Ferrara).
Owing to this, these ceramics could only be examined through a comparison with archaeological materials from excavations carried out to scientifical standards, with special regard the north-eastern part of Italy.
The present work, which was originally submitted as a PhD thesis at the University of Ferrara, was awarded best doctoral thesis within the Faculty of Huminities at the University of Ferrara, then published in the Annali dell'Istituto di Studi Superiori of Ferrara series. GC
Complete version at the following link:
http://annali.unife.it/iuss/search/authors/view?firstName=Giacomo&middleName=&lastName=Cesaretti&affiliation=&country=
Due to copyright reasons, the book could not be uploaded as a whole. Should anyone be interested, however, do not hesitate to contact me [cesarettigcm(at)gmail.com] or borrow it at the nearest libraries.
Italy, pick the nearest at: http://id.sbn.it/bid/UFE0968558
France: Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Objets d’art, https://www.louvre.fr/services-d-etudes-et-de-documentation/objets-d-art
UK: London, VAM National Art Library,
https://nal-vam.on.worldcat.org/oclc/794684312
Oxford, Bodleian Libraries, http://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/OXVU1:LSCOP_OX:oxfaleph019465425
Germany: Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe,
https://kataloge.uni-hamburg.de/DB=3.7/XMLPRS=N/PPN?PPN=689123507
USA: New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Robert Lehman Collection Library, https://library.metmuseum.org:443/record=b1777469~S1
More at: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/794684312
Italy: http://id.sbn.it/bid/UBO4322448;
Rest of the world: https://www.worldcat.org/title/genio-delle-acque-scavi-nelle-piazze-di-ravenna/oclc/1039817213&referer=brief_results#borrow
Si rigraziano C. Tassinari per aver concesso la riproduzione della fig. 2 e S. Biondi per il rilievo del mosaico.
For the abstract and other information regarding the excavation and the ceramic finds, see supra the 'papers' section.
Vocabulary part 1, Main decorations, was developed in the latest stage of the research and focused primarily on the ceramic evidence from the above mentioned collections/geographric area. Although it can not be considered a general reference book with regard to medieval and modern period italian ceramics, it certainly offers an exceptional overview on a more limited scale, that is that of the province of Pesaro and that of the Sforza and Montefeltro courts, with which is closely intertwined. GC
Vocabulary part 2, Vessel forms, was developed in the latest stage of the research and focused primarily on the ceramic evidence from the above mentioned collections/geographric area. Although it can not be considered a general reference book with regard to medieval and modern period italian ceramic forms, it certainly offers an exceptional overview on a more limited scale, that is that of the province of Pesaro and that of the Sforza and Montefeltro courts, with which is closely intertwined. GC
Featuring:
D. Sacco, A. L. Ermeti, G. Cesaretti, Crisis or rebirth? Northern Marche - and the city of Pesaro - in the 5th century AD.
Latest schedule of the 3rd International Conference on late antique residential buildings and building techniques, to be held on 28-31 October 2019 at the University of Bologna.
Featuring:
D. Sacco, G. Cesaretti, Pesaro in Late Antiquity. New perspectives on the city's transformation between the 5th and the 6th centuries AD.
Nel presente articolo si traccia un quadro complessivo del materiale ceramico postmedievale recuperato nella Rocca di Bagnara di Romagna (Ravenna), nel corso di indagini archeologiche condotte dalla Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio RA-FC-RN nei primi anni 2000. In quest'ottica, la finalità principale del contributo è quella di evidenziare questioni legate alla circolazione e al consumo della ceramica in un'area periferica rispetto a Ravenna, ma comunque nel raggio di importanti rotte commerciali, considerata la vicinanza ai centri di Imola e Faenza.
EN
The present study aims at providing an overall picture of the post-medieval ceramic assemblage recovered from the castle of Bagnara di Romagna (Ravenna), in the course of archaeological investigations conducted by the local Superintendency in the early 2000s. In this respect, the main purpose of the paper is to investigate matters related to pottery circulation and consumption in a rather peripheral area of the province of Ravenna, nonetheless close to important trade routes, given its vicinity to Faenza and Imola. GC
ES
El presente estudio tiene como objetivo proporcionar una imagen general del conjunto cerámico post-medieval recuperado en el curso de las investigaciones arqueológicas realizadas por la Superintendencia local en el castillo de Bagnara di Romagna (Ravenna) a principios de los años 2000. En este sentido, el objetivo principal del trabajo es investigar asuntos relacionados con la circulación y el uso de cerámica en una zona bastante periférica de la provincia de Ravenna, pero cercana a importantes rutas comerciales por su proximidad a Faenza e Imola. (trad. E. Luzi)
The complete issue of Rodis n. 4, 2021 is available at the link below:
https://www.documentauniversitaria.media/rodis/index.php/rodis
Le ricerche sulla città, come necessaria fase propedeutica, si sono dirette verso lo studio dei dati editi - e sul reperimento di dati inediti (anche da fonti documentarie) - aventi come oggetto il periodo compreso tra il Tardoantico e il basso Medioevo.
Il presente contributo, analizzando le informazioni esistenti sui principali contesti tardoantichi della città di Pesaro, intende fare il punto sulla situazione insediativa del cosiddetto "Quartiere di San Terenzio" che occupava la superficie orientale della città, quella prossima alla cinta muraria di età romana e al litorale.
Si presenterà una sintesi dei dati provenienti da contesti oggetto di nuove ricerche a cura dell'Università di Urbino, accanto ad altre notizie inedite a cura di SABAP Marche (area di via dell'Abbondanza, scavi 1999-2005), ponendo il dato in relazione con l'intero tessuto cittadino.
The paper sums up the results of a series of archaeological investigations that were carried out in the city of Ferrara between the 1990s and the years 2000. In particular, the research focuses on waste disposal practices in Ferrara during the Middle Ages, especially on a particualr category of underground chambers, which served as rubbish pits, within the urban area, between the 2nd half of 14th and the 16th century.
Generally, these structures had the shape of brick-built chambers with a vaulted ceiling. Thus far, at least 12 such rooms have been excavated in the city, most of which were found in connection with aristocratic or upper middle-class domestic contexts, albeit associations with religious complexes are also attested.
Archaeologically, these chambers are of great importance from the point of view of their content, as they have provided a vast amount of information as far as the economy of the city in the late Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance is concerned.
In this paper, three different structures have been examined specifically, each one representative of any category: 1. aristocratic contexts (related to the Este family), 2. domestic contexts and finally 3. religious contexts. CG, GC
Questo lavoro rappresenta la terza ed ultima parte di un progetto di ricerca portato avanti dall'Università di Ferrara tra il 2008 ed il 2012, che ha avuto come principale obiettivo la riscoperta ed il punto sullo status quaestions sulla ceramica ferrarese di epoca medievale e rinascimentale, in particolare la classe delle ingobbiate.
I materiali ceramici di cui ci siamo occupati in prima persona, nel presente studio, provengono da due contesti molto diversi tra loro: da un lato un deposito archeologico (US1050) ed una raccolta di stampo antiquario (coll. Carife) dall'altro.
Per quanto riguarda il deposito, si tratta di una vasca sotterranea per rifiuti, rinvenuta in piazza Municipio a Ferrara nei primi anni 2000, oggetto di una recente ed esaustiva pubblicazione curata da C. Guarnieri della Soprintendenza per la città metropolitana di Bologna e le province di Modena, Reggio Emilia e Ferrara, contenente, tra gli altri, alcuni contributi dello scrivente inerenti proprio i materiali ceramici della vasca, a cui quindi rimandiamo (cfr. Ferrara al tempo di Ecole I d'Este. Scavi archeologici, restauri e riqualificazione urbana nel centro storico della città, a cura di C. Guarnieri, Firenze 2018).
Del tutto inedito, invece, l'esame condotto sul lotto A di proprietà della Fondazione Carife, comprende 362 manufatti, databili tra la seconda metà del XIV e la seconda metà del XVI sec. ca., comprendenti essenzialmente ceramiche ingobbiate e smaltate.
Diversamente dalla US1050, questo nucleo non presenta una provenienza unitaria, ma rappresenta il frutto di un’accurata selezione da parte dell’uomo: quasi il 90% dei materiali è costituito, infatti, da ingobbiate graffite; inoltre, non sono oggetti frammentari, ma solo oggetti integri, semi-integri (spesso restaurati).
Il lotto A non ha restituito notizie di carattere storico, intendendo con ciò la possibilità di risalire alle tappe fondamentali di formazione della raccolta.
Anche per questo motivo, ma non solo, la nostra lettura è stata fortemente critica, nei confronti soprattutto della precedente letteratura, nel tentativo di ristabilire un giusto equilibrio tra gli studi più conservatori, generalmente a carattere locale, e le tendenze più attuali della ceramologia, per cui il dato archeologico sta diventando un riferimento sempre più indispensabile ai fini della ricerca e della datazione, a prescindere dalla personale formazione.
Questo lavoro, che nasce come tesi di dottorato in Scienze e tecnologie per l'archeologia e i beni culturali, XXV ciclo, presso l'Università di Ferrara, ha ricevuto il premio come miglior tesi dottorale della classe di Lettere nel 2013, successivamente pubblicato nella collana degli Annali dello IUSS di Ferrara. GC
La versione integrale è scaricabile al link seguente:
http://annali.unife.it/iuss/search/authors/view?firstName=Giacomo&middleName=&lastName=Cesaretti&affiliation=&country=
EN
This work is the third and last part of a research project whose primary purpose was to revise the role and the function of late medieval pottery (particularly sgraffito ware) recovered in the city of Ferrara, in the Emilia Romagna region. The ceramic materials which we considered in our study belong to two different assemblages: on the one hand an underground rubbish pit excavated in 2001 in Ferrara's Municipal Square (anciently the city’s Ducal Courtyard) (US 1050), on other hand the Carife Foundation collection of objets d’art (group A). These assemblages diverge markedly from one another, starting from the type of formation, that is an archaeological deposit, once used as waste disposal (Municipal square), and (Carife coll.) a group of objects from antiques trade and auctions; nevertheless, what brings them together is the high percetange of late-medieval ceramics, particularly slip-coated wares with incised decorations. The analysis of the pottery finds from the pit resulted in the following data: a total of 4066 ceramic sherds (omitting illegible pieces, from now on: sh.), that become 4118 if we add kiln waste products (that is a few biscuit-fired wasters). Of these, 1439 are single sh., whereas 2627 represent units (joining in some cases), forming a total of 476 individuals (or MNV = minimum number of vessels) plus a group of 92 restored pieces. As far as the chronology is concerned, both the written sources and the type of ceramic associations appeared to indicate the second half of the 15th c. ca. as a possible terminus ante quem for the pit (US 1050 is a rather secure context, as it was found sealed some metres under the square).
Conversely, the ceramics which belong to Carife's group A comprise a total of 362 items dating between ca. the second half of the 14th and the second half of the 16th centuries; ware groups here include mainly slip-coated wares and medieval tin-glazed wares, though unlike US 1050, these ceramics do not represent a unit, in view of the fact that they do not come from stratigraphic excavations, but were intentionally grouped together in the course of the last three decades of the 20th century; almost 90% of the pieces consists of sgraffiato wares, restored in most of the cases.
Unfortunately, group A lacks all sorts of documentation concerning its formation prior to Carife's acquisition and no record is available with regard either the possible owner/s and/or dealers, and the provenance of the objects (allegedly Ferrara).
Owing to this, these ceramics could only be examined through a comparison with archaeological materials from excavations carried out to scientifical standards, with special regard the north-eastern part of Italy.
The present work, which was originally submitted as a PhD thesis at the University of Ferrara, was awarded best doctoral thesis within the Faculty of Huminities at the University of Ferrara, then published in the Annali dell'Istituto di Studi Superiori of Ferrara series. GC
Complete version at the following link:
http://annali.unife.it/iuss/search/authors/view?firstName=Giacomo&middleName=&lastName=Cesaretti&affiliation=&country=
Due to copyright reasons, the book could not be uploaded as a whole. Should anyone be interested, however, do not hesitate to contact me [cesarettigcm(at)gmail.com] or borrow it at the nearest libraries.
Italy, pick the nearest at: http://id.sbn.it/bid/UFE0968558
France: Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Objets d’art, https://www.louvre.fr/services-d-etudes-et-de-documentation/objets-d-art
UK: London, VAM National Art Library,
https://nal-vam.on.worldcat.org/oclc/794684312
Oxford, Bodleian Libraries, http://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/OXVU1:LSCOP_OX:oxfaleph019465425
Germany: Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe,
https://kataloge.uni-hamburg.de/DB=3.7/XMLPRS=N/PPN?PPN=689123507
USA: New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Robert Lehman Collection Library, https://library.metmuseum.org:443/record=b1777469~S1
More at: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/794684312
Italy: http://id.sbn.it/bid/UBO4322448;
Rest of the world: https://www.worldcat.org/title/genio-delle-acque-scavi-nelle-piazze-di-ravenna/oclc/1039817213&referer=brief_results#borrow
Si rigraziano C. Tassinari per aver concesso la riproduzione della fig. 2 e S. Biondi per il rilievo del mosaico.
For the abstract and other information regarding the excavation and the ceramic finds, see supra the 'papers' section.
Vocabulary part 1, Main decorations, was developed in the latest stage of the research and focused primarily on the ceramic evidence from the above mentioned collections/geographric area. Although it can not be considered a general reference book with regard to medieval and modern period italian ceramics, it certainly offers an exceptional overview on a more limited scale, that is that of the province of Pesaro and that of the Sforza and Montefeltro courts, with which is closely intertwined. GC
Vocabulary part 2, Vessel forms, was developed in the latest stage of the research and focused primarily on the ceramic evidence from the above mentioned collections/geographric area. Although it can not be considered a general reference book with regard to medieval and modern period italian ceramic forms, it certainly offers an exceptional overview on a more limited scale, that is that of the province of Pesaro and that of the Sforza and Montefeltro courts, with which is closely intertwined. GC
Selected bibliography (as of 2018):
2018 (ultimate, covering all the items part of the exhibition) Ferrara al tempo di Ercole I d'Este. Scavi archeologici, restauri e riqualificazione urbana nel centro storico della città, C. Guarnieri ed., Firenze 2018 [feat. contributions (among others) by: M. Bandini Mazzanti, L. Bonazzi, G. Bosi, G. Cesaretti, X. Gonzales Muro, C. Guarnieri, M. T. Gulinelli, M. Librenti, S. Nepoti, C. Vallini] (with complete bibliography, as of 2018) (check for availability in libraries in Italy: http://id.sbn.it/bid/UFE1012416; worldwide: https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=isbn%3A9788878148246).
2014 G. Cesaretti, Nuovi dati per una storia della ceramica graffita tardomedievale a Ferrara. Materiali dalla US1050 di piazza Municipio e dalla collezione Carife, in 'Annali dell'Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori di Ferrara', vol. 8, n. 1 (2014) (monographic issue) (PhD thesis in Sciences and Technologies for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, University of Ferrara, 25° cycle),(available at:http://annali.unife.it/iuss/search/authors/view?firstName=Giacomo&middleName=&lastName=Cesaretti&affiliation=&country=).
2009 G. Bosi, A. M. Mercuri, C. Guarnieri, M. Bandini Mazzanti, Luxury Food and Ornamental Plants at the 15th Century A.D. Renaissance Court of the Este Family (Ferrara, Northern Italy), in 'Vegetation History and Archaeobotany', 18 (2009), pp. 389–402 (https://iris.unimore.it/handle/11380/595464#.Xw8uLygzZPY).