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Non-Intrusive Methodologies for Large Area Urban Research brings together contributions from a conference held in 2021 in association with the ERC-funded ‘Rome Transformed’ research project. The papers address a major challenge in... more
Non-Intrusive Methodologies for Large Area Urban Research brings together contributions from a conference held in 2021 in association with the ERC-funded ‘Rome Transformed’ research project. The papers address a major challenge in archaeology. Non-intrusive research in pursuit of a deeper understanding of urban areas can be both richly informative and cost-effective. Multiple successes in the field have led to an impressive array of innovative methodologies, methodologies that are frequently combined for still greater insight and impact. Geophysical surveys, the use of UAVs, the study of exposed historic structures and the exhaustive examination of archival records can all play a vital role, and the development of these data capture methodologies is of the utmost importance for the future of research. As well as advances in data capture methodologies, however, the papers also present case studies in the management of the big data generated and in the integration of different methodologies. A further strength of this collection lies in the range of site types considered. While many projects have historically pursued non-intrusive research in areas relatively clear of modern buildings, a growing number of research initiatives, such as ‘Rome Transformed’ are seeking to advance them in areas which remain densely occupied. Accordingly the material presented here will also be of interest to non-archaeologists working in such diverse fields as civil engineering, urban planning and physical geography.
The Archbasilica of St John Lateran is the world's earliest cathedral. A Constantinian foundation pre-dating St Peter's in the Vatican, it remains the seat of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, to this day. This volume brings together scholars... more
The Archbasilica of St John Lateran is the world's earliest cathedral. A Constantinian foundation pre-dating St Peter's in the Vatican, it remains the seat of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, to this day. This volume brings together scholars of topography, archaeology, architecture, art history, geophysical survey and liturgy to illuminate this profoundly important building. It takes the story of the site from the early imperial period, when it was occupied by elite housing, through its use as a barracks for the emperor's horse guards to Constantine's revolutionary project and its development over 1300 years. Richly illustrated throughout, this innovative volume includes both broad historical analysis and accessible explanations of the cutting-edge technological approaches to the site that allow us to visualise its original appearance.
Archaeological Map of The Vatican City with a discussion of the topography and history of the area
proceedings of the conference about the sculpural polychromy of Roman times held in Florence
A synthesis of the Roman necropoleis along the Via Triumphalis and Cornelia Aurelia in the Vatican area
Guide to the Roman necropolis along the Via triumphalis in the Vatican area
Guide to the Exhibition "I colori del Bianco"
Catalogue of the Archaeological Museum at the Papal Villa of Castel Gandolfo
The history of the Roman Municipium of Veii (southern Etruria) through the evidence from the Giorgi Excavations (1811-13) with unpublished documents and the finds preserved in the Vatican Museums
Since 2003, when the exhibition Bunte Götter / I colori del bianco was opened, the study of polychromy on Greek and Roman sculpture has been developed: nowadays, there is no doubt that classical sculpture was actually brightly coloured.... more
Since 2003, when the exhibition Bunte Götter / I colori del bianco was opened, the study of polychromy on Greek and Roman sculpture has been developed: nowadays, there is no doubt that classical sculpture was actually brightly coloured. In order to understand, analyse and study the remains of these traces of ancient colour, a multi-disciplinary approach – which combines skills from different backgrounds, from applied science to the humanities - is mandatory. For this reason, during the last years various multi-disciplinary groups were formed, with the aim of studying polychrome sculptures and architectural elements, in order to deepen the knowledge in this peculiar field of research. This paper shows a selection of case - studies on residual polychromy on marble reliefs and slabs which were set in walls of Roman buildings. The contexts were different in function and chronology, spanning from the domestic to the public ones and from the 1st century BC to the 3rd century AD.
These case studies were part of a larger research on painting on marble sculptures, carried on in the framework of a collaboration agreement between the University of Florence and the ISPC - CNR of Florence since 2012.
After a year, the Italian Ministry of Culture has revised the ministerial decree regulating the granting of images of state cultural property. The first decree had been criticised by the entire cultural world for the costs it imposed on... more
After a year, the Italian Ministry of Culture has revised the ministerial decree regulating the granting of images of state cultural property. The first decree had been criticised by the entire cultural world for the costs it imposed on publications, including scientific ones. The new decree has improved this aspect by granting broad exemptions, but it has maintained an overly complex system and the 'concession' regime, with a prior 'ethical' control on the use of the images, which is neither acceptable nor practically feasible.

Il Ministero della cultura italiano dopo un anno ha rivisto il Decreto Ministeriale che regola la concessione delle immagini dei beni culturali dello stato. Il primo decreto avevo sollevato le critiche di tutto il mondo della cultura per i costi che imponeva alle pubblicazioni, anche a quelle scientifiche. Il nuovo decreto ha migliorato questo aspetto concedendo ampie esenzioni, ma ha mantenuto un impianto troppo complesso e il regime della “concessione”, con un controllo preventivo “etico” sull’uso delle immagini, che non è né ammissibile, né praticamente attuabile.
Situating Rome within wider debates on Classical Urbanism is notoriously challenging. It cannot be ignored; the city was the point of reference for a civilization built on urban centres. Rome’s resilient power to absorb, adapt and... more
Situating Rome within wider debates on Classical Urbanism is notoriously challenging. It cannot be ignored; the city was the point of reference for a civilization built on urban centres. Rome’s resilient power to absorb, adapt and re-present itself underpinned its longevity. Yet while this rightly ensures Rome has a profound significance in discussions of the Classical and Late Antique city, the pulse that sustained the urbs Roma aeterna was also very much its own. No urban centre in the Mediterranean world could match its sustained dynamism, and as Purcell (2007) observed in his discussion of the horti of peri-urban Rome, the drivers that underpinned its evolution were often particular to the circumstances of the city itself. The European Research Council-funded ‘Rome Transformed’ Project https://research.ncl.ac.uk/rometrans/ (grant agreement No. 835271, Haynes et al. 2020; 2021; 2022) seeks to understand better this dynamism and its implications, through detailed study of a neighbourhood on the periphery of the Late Republican city, outside Rome’s pomerium, which went on to become the centre of western Christendom for a millennium. The project’s focus is on the eastern Caelian, and most particularly, on the eight formative centuries that ran from the Principate of Augustus to the Pontificate of Leo III. This paper concentrates on the first four of those centuries.
Si presentano due casi di monete poste in fondazione di edifici paleocristiani: il primo è relativo alla basilica costantiniana di S. Pietro in Vaticano e ai rinvenimenti numismatici che si sono verificati durante la sua demolizione per... more
Si presentano due casi di monete poste in fondazione di edifici paleocristiani: il primo è relativo alla basilica costantiniana di S. Pietro in Vaticano e ai rinvenimenti numismatici che si sono verificati durante la sua demolizione per l’erezione del nuovo S. Pietro. Monete emesse da Costanzo II furono infatti trovate sotto la base delle colonne della navata principale. Il secondo rinvenimento, del VI secolo, è relativo alla chiesa di Santa Maria Antiqua al Foro Romano, sotto i cui pilastri furono rinvenute emissioni forse di Giustino I oppure di Giustino II. I due casi sono interessanti in quanto si pongono allo snodo tra l’evo antico e il medio, testimoniando la sopravvivenza e continuità di un uso «pagano» anche in contesto cristiano. Queste due etichette però potrebbero essere inadeguate perché si tratta di elementi che potrebbero essere considerati come relativamente indipendenti dalle specifiche concezioni religiose, soggetti a una progressiva evoluzione di significato riconoscibile nel lungo periodo. Una pista di ricerca è la verifica dell’uso di queste monete di fondazione in età paleocristiana, se cioè fosse legato alla committenza pubblica civile, dunque non ecclesiastica.
On the basis of a new integration and interpretation of the inscription ICUR 3900 from the Basilica Apostolorum (Rome, via Appia, now S. Sebastia) attributed to Pope Miltiades, the paper reexamines the architectural type of the... more
On the basis of a new integration and interpretation of the inscription ICUR 3900 from the Basilica Apostolorum (Rome, via Appia, now S. Sebastia) attributed to Pope Miltiades, the paper reexamines the architectural type of the deambulatory basilica, limited in number (6 examples only in RomeI Chronology (the age of Constantine) and proposes an interpretation of its functions and the reason for the early abandonment of the type.
In the study of the urban development of late antique Rome, the discussion on the Christian basilicas built by Constantine has always played a significant role. In this regard we have a very important source, the Liber Pontificalis,... more
In the study of the urban development of late antique Rome, the discussion on the Christian basilicas built by Constantine has always played a significant role. In this regard we have a very important source, the Liber Pontificalis, consisting in a series of papal biographies in chronological order. The Life of Pope Sylvester preserves the list of ecclesiastical foundations promoted by the emperor with their donations: it is the so-called Constantinian Libellus. The analysis of the list allows interesting results since this document was prepared by the imperial chancellery and the 6th century ecclesiastical compiler of the Liber Pontificalis inserted only a few clearly recognizable interpolations. The structure of the list is extremely regular and helps us to understand some administrative practices and how the emperor adapted the traditional framework to the new situations and to his ecclesiastical policy. On one side the emperor involved the bishops and their churches in the project and building of the basilicas, on the other side the basic schemes and concepts he employed were probably derived from the Roman administrative tradition concerning the foundations of pagan temples.
Some reflections about the fuure of the topographical research on Ancient Rome
The Falerii Novi Project represents a newly formed archaeological initiative to explore the Roman city of Falerii Novi. The project forms a collaboration of the British School at Rome with a multinational team of partner institutions.... more
The Falerii Novi Project represents a newly formed archaeological initiative to explore the Roman city of Falerii Novi. The project forms a collaboration of the British School at Rome with a multinational team of partner institutions. Thanks to a rich legacy of geophysical work on both the site and its territory, Falerii Novi presents an exceptional opportunity to advance understanding of urbanism in ancient and medieval Italy. The Falerii Novi Project employs a range of methodologies, integrating continued site-scale survey with new campaigns of stratigraphic excavation, archival research and environmental archaeology. The project aims to present a more expansive and holistic urban history of this key Tiber Valley settlement by focusing on long-run socio-economic processes both within Falerii Novi and as they linked the city to its wider landscape.
edizione italiana di Historical reliefs and architecture, in A. RAIMONDI COMINESI, N. DE HAAN, E.M. MOORMANN, C. STOCKS (a cura di), God on Earth: Emperor Domitian. The re-invention of Rome at the end of the 1st century AD, Papers on... more
edizione italiana di Historical reliefs and architecture, in A. RAIMONDI COMINESI, N. DE HAAN, E.M. MOORMANN, C. STOCKS (a cura di), God on Earth: Emperor Domitian. The re-invention of Rome at the end of the 1st century AD, Papers on Archaeology of the Leiden Museum of Antiquities 24, Leiden 2021, pp. 83-89, ISBN 978-90-8890-955
The paper tries to establish how one might use the concept of epitomization to
evaluate if and to what extent we can find common ground between written and figural
texts
This study is concerned with recent analyses of seven marble statues from the imperial cycle of the Augusteum of Rusellae, in the south of Tuscany, Italy. The sculptures represent the deified couple Augustus and Livia, Livilla, Claudius,... more
This study is concerned with recent analyses of seven marble statues from the imperial cycle of the Augusteum of Rusellae, in the south of Tuscany, Italy. The sculptures represent the deified couple Augustus and Livia, Livilla, Claudius, an anonymous young girl and a headless cuirassed emperor (maybe Domitian). In addition, a fragment of a leg, from another cuirassed statue, was also considered. All of them are preserved in the city of Grosseto, in the Maremma Archaeology and Art Museum. Still preserved traces of polychromy and gilding were investigated both in situ, using noninvasive portable techniques, and in laboratory, taking two micro-samples. The non-invasive approach was based on multi-band imaging techniques (Vis, UVL and VIL) integrated with analyses (XRF, reflectance spectroscopy). A portable optical microscopy was also used for documenting the analysed areas. Two micro-samples from the gilding decoration of the headless cuirassed statue were also analysed using EDS-SEM. Comparing the results from the analytical survey, important information about the use of ochres and Egyptian blue on the cuirassed headless Emperor statue has been highlighted with the presence of gilding in the cuirasses and in the mantle, enriching the knowledge of this important imperial cycle, in addition to contributing to the archaeological point of view.
At first glance, the urban district of the Caelian Hill in Rome appears characterised by contradictions: it is occupied at the same time by domus of members of the pagan elite, by imposing barracks and – in a later moment – by the Lateran... more
At first glance, the urban district of the Caelian Hill in Rome appears characterised by contradictions: it is occupied at the same time by domus of members of the pagan elite, by imposing barracks and – in a later moment – by the Lateran Basilica. Urban Morphology theory allows a better understanding of the evolution of this area which is a typical example of a “fringe belt”, delimited to the north by the pomerium and the Republican walls, to the south by the limit of the hill with the Marrana river and later by the Aurelian Walls. This district is located on the edge of the city and serves a hinge role between the centre and the countryside.
The statue of the Nile preserved in the Vatican Museums has a frieze depicting Nilotic scenes; comparison with written sources and especially with Pliny the Elder shows important coincidences that make the frieze's dependence on this... more
The statue of the Nile preserved in the Vatican Museums has a frieze depicting Nilotic scenes; comparison with written sources and especially with Pliny the Elder shows important coincidences that make the frieze's dependence on this source plausible, in the passage about the fight between the mongoose and the crocodile.
Entry Vatican: Pagan Vaticanum; Saint Peter’s Basilica: Position and Structure; Date of the Building; The Apsidal Area; The Baptistery; The Decoration of the Nave; The Atrium and the Access to the Basilica; Historiography; Bibliography.
The inscription ICUR 3900 is preserved only through a 9th cent. codex together with other in¬scriptions from the early Christian basilicas of Rome. Unfortunately, the last line, with the name of the builder of the basilica, is missing.... more
The inscription ICUR 3900 is preserved only through a 9th cent. codex together with other in¬scriptions from the early Christian basilicas of Rome. Unfortunately, the last line, with the name of the builder of the basilica, is missing. One century ago, Marucchi attributed it to the Basilica Apostolorum – to day St Sebastian on the Via Appia – and his proposal was widely accepted. After the discussion of some integrations of the text, the paper addresses the interpretation of the essential node: the identification of the praesul, the bishop who took the initiative to build the church, and of the filius, the son who completed the work. The Basilica Apostolorum is surely one of the earliest churches of Rome, dating back to the age of Constantine, but there is no trace of it in the list of the Constantinian buildings in the Liber Pontificalis. A possible explanation is to attribute the building to a private (the filius), who completed the work begun by his father (the praesul). Hypothetically and in a very cautious way, the latter could be identified with pope Miltiades or Sylvester.
While it is normal in archaeology to discuss the relationship between written sources and archaeological evidence, the use of graphic sources for the reconstruction of the topography of ancient Rome – in particular of Renaissance drawings... more
While it is normal in archaeology to discuss the relationship between written sources and archaeological evidence, the use of graphic sources for the reconstruction of the topography of ancient Rome – in particular of Renaissance drawings and maps – did not develop a debate on methodological issues. In this regard an important starting point for the discussion can be found, instead, in the art-historical studies dedicated to this type of drawings. The evaluation of the reliability of these sources needs a specific philology taking into account the purposes, functions and type of the collections where these documents appear, the relationships between the various drawings and – of course – their chronology. The paper examines some cases where the conclusions of historical and artistic studies have significantly changed the attribution and dating of well-known collections, with consequences that not always are fully evaluated in the archaeological field, due to the disciplinary specializations. Finally, a pair of specific examples are considered to demonstrate that the correct interpretation of graphic Renaissance documentation allows to avoid misunderstandings or calls into question conclusions that seemed well-established. open access: https://books.openedition.org/efr/30270
Discussione sui difficili rapporti che intercorrono attualmente tra formazione universitaria e Ministero dei Beni Culturali
The original locations of Antinous’ obelisk – now on the Pincian Hill in Rome – and his tomb are long-debated issues. The late antique sources place the tomb in the Eg yptian city of Antinoupolis, but some scholars identified it in Rome... more
The original locations of Antinous’ obelisk – now on the Pincian Hill in Rome – and his tomb are long-debated issues. The late antique sources place the tomb in the Eg yptian city of Antinoupolis, but some scholars identified it in Rome or at Villa Adriana. A careful re-examination of the hieroglyphic text offers new elements to locate the obelisk in the horti of Domitia, near the Tomb of Hadrian. The emperor probably inherited the estate from his own mother Domitia Lucilla. The obelisk remained in this location to mark Antinous’ cenotaph until the Severan age, when it was transferred in another imperial property, the horti of the Spes Vetus. Keywords: Antinous, obelisk, tomb, Horti Domitiae, Hadrian.
The study is an attempt to reassess our analytical tools for understanding the figural Christian language, not considering its iconographical vocabulary but rather some apparently trivial elements, for identifying long-term phenomena... more
The study is an attempt to reassess our analytical tools for understanding the figural Christian language, not considering its iconographical vocabulary but rather some apparently trivial elements, for identifying long-term phenomena whose articulations and ruptures acquire significance when seen with new eyes. Starting from a couple of mosaic portraits of the mid fourth century, the paper addresses the meaning of some features only rarely considered: the ground colour, the shape of the tondo, the two-dimensionality, and frontality of the portraits. This approach highlights some elements of continuity in the figural language between the Graeco-Roman and Christian world, but at the same time, it makes clear that besides the new images there was a new beholder. In other words, the main novelty is the ‘invention’ of the beholder: Christian art presupposed and established him in an explicit way, exhorting his response as an essential part of the artistic device.
Topographical evolution of the coastal territory south of Rome between Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages
Reconsideration of the textual and archaeological evidence about the iconography of the early Christian apse decoration of the Basilica of St. John the Lateran
the paper provides a picture of the historical, topographical and archaeological significance of the remains that lay underneath the buildings of the Hospital of St. John the Lateran.
Analysis and general overview of the historical reliefs and the main monuments of the imperial propaganda of Domitian
The entry of the Reallexikon synthetizes the question of ancient spolia in the Jewish, Greek and Roman culture up to the Early Christian and Early Medieval period through literary, epigraphic and archaeological sources with a critical... more
The entry of the Reallexikon synthetizes the question of ancient spolia in the Jewish, Greek and Roman culture up to the Early Christian and Early Medieval period through literary, epigraphic and archaeological sources with a critical synthesis of the interpretations of the phenomenon.
Il penultimo della serie dei tondi figurati adrianei dell'Arco di Costantino - noto come "Rientro dalla caccia" - raffigura l'imperatore Adriano tra due compagni di fronte a un leone ucciso. Alle estremità della scena sono due... more
Il penultimo della serie dei tondi figurati adrianei dell'Arco di Costantino - noto come "Rientro dalla caccia" - raffigura l'imperatore Adriano tra due compagni di fronte a un leone ucciso. Alle estremità della scena sono due palafrenieri con i cavalli. Adriano narra la caccia vittoriosa al Leone compiuta da Antinoo presso il Nilo. Quest'ultimo, nel frattempo sceso al fiume, per un incidente o un malore avrebbe perso la vita e sarebbe stato assunto in cielo trasformato in una stella. Il palafreniere di destra è la chiave per comprendere tutta la scena: volge le spalle all'imperatore in maniera contraria all'etichetta e alle regole dell'arte romana alzando la testa verso il cielo. Egli dev'essere identificato con il "iurator": colui che nelle apoteosi imperiali dichiarava di aver visto l'assunzione in cielo dell'anima del defunto e con il suo giuramento ne permetteva la divinizzazione.
Synthetic presentation and evaluation of the approaches in studying the Roman streets in central and northern Italy
In the Epistle to the Hebrews (10,1; cf. Hbr. 8,5; Col. 2,16-17) the terms σκιά and εἰκών are opposed, and most commentators have focused on the latter term, interpreting it as a Platonic allusion. If we consider in more detail the... more
In the Epistle to the Hebrews (10,1; cf. Hbr. 8,5; Col. 2,16-17) the terms σκιά and εἰκών are opposed, and most commentators have focused on the latter term, interpreting it as a Platonic allusion. If we consider in more detail the meanings of σκιά and σκιαγραφία, another interpretation appears more likely. Σκιαγραφία means “shading”, “silhouette” or “outline”, and finally “sketch” or – even better – “preliminary drawing”, “underdrawing”or “sinopia”. The last meaning is well attested in the sources at least since the late second or early third century AD and a number of passages in the Fathers alluding to the Epistle support the same conclusion. The term is common in the technical terminology of painters on wooden tablets and was a widely employed topos with different nuances according to different authors.
Methodological observations concerning the urban studies in relation to displacements due to political, military or economic reasons
A reexamination of the Tiber bridges leads to propose some new solutions, as the identification of Pons Probi in the remains upstream of Ponte Sisto, and Pons Theodosii in those under the Aventine. No other bridges are known from the... more
A reexamination of the Tiber bridges leads to propose some new solutions, as the identification of Pons Probi in the remains upstream of Ponte Sisto, and Pons Theodosii in those under the Aventine. No other bridges are known from the mouth of the river to this point, because they would obstacle the ships traveling upstream to the city. According to Lanciani, the hill of Monte Citorio would consist of fragments of late antique amphorae: due to the proximity of Portus Vinarius and Templum Solis we could hypothesize they were wine amphorae. This allows to identify a functional division: to the Campus Martius arrived wine – descending along the river – and pigs – walking along the via Flaminia, both from the Italian hinterland; under the Aventine on the other hand arrived grain, oil, marble: in general all the goods and commodities imported by sea to the port of Ostia.
Discussione sulla situazione degli insegnamenti di Archeologia nell'Università italiana alla luce delle evoluzioni normative in relazione al tema della valutazione accademica. Seguono considerazioni relative al dibattito interno tra i... more
Discussione sulla situazione degli insegnamenti di Archeologia nell'Università italiana alla luce delle evoluzioni normative in relazione al tema della valutazione accademica. Seguono considerazioni relative al dibattito interno tra i diversi settori scientifico disciplinari.
Project for a museum of the Archaeological Excavation under the Basilica of St. John the Lateran - Rome
A discussion about fakes in archaeology and history of art trying to distiguish various nuances and intermediate positions between the two poles of true and fake
Fortuna Redux and Pax had already a significant role in Augustan Rome, but their importance grew up under Vespasian. Since the early days of his arrival in the capital his preference for Fortuna Redux was evident so that the goddess... more
Fortuna Redux and Pax had already a significant role in Augustan Rome, but their importance grew up under Vespasian. Since the early days of his arrival in the capital his preference for Fortuna Redux was evident so that the goddess appeared on thirteen issues of coins in front of a single one in the age of Augustus and of the julio-claudian emperors. On the other hand Vespasian dedicated to Pax the great Templum Pacis in the heart of Rome and decorated it with the art masterpieces recovered from Nero's properties.
In 73 and 74 AD Vespasian assumed the Censorship in order to reorganize the empire and the city of Rome, which underwent to new cadastral measurements. In 75 he enlarged the pomerium, and as a consequence moved the Porta Triumphalis which Domitian rebuilt as a four-sided arch. Thanks to a passage in the panegyric by Claudian for Honorius’ sixth consulate, we can identify the Arco di Portogallo on the Via Lata/Flaminia as a pomerial gate and therefore as the late antique heir of the Flavian Porta Triumphalis.
According to Martial, Domitian built the Temple of Fortuna Redux close to this gate: thanks to two marble reliefs depicting the triumphal arrival of Marcus Aurelius, we can place the temple immediately to the north of the gate, outside the city, and to the east of the Via Flaminia. On the other hand to the south of the gate, inside the city, to the west of the road, stood the Ara Pacis of Augustus. The two cults formed a coherent system: upon his arrival from a victorious campaign, the emperor could express his thanksgiving to Fortuna Redux and, once crossed the pomerium through the gate, he encountered Peace, the condition for the civil life of the city, represented by her altar.
In this frame, the Templum Pacis acquires its full meaning and also the role of the marble plan – the Forma Urbis – becomes clear: it was the manifesto of the imperial propaganda in order to proclaim the civil order recovered and the administrative capacities of the emperor.
The so-called Villa of Poppaea in Oplontis (Torre Annunziata, Naples – also known as “Villa A”) was destroyed after the Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 A.D. It is nowadays one of the World Heritage Sites of UNESCO. The building, one of the... more
The so-called Villa of Poppaea in Oplontis (Torre
Annunziata, Naples – also known as “Villa A”) was destroyed
after the Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 A.D. It is nowadays one of the
World Heritage Sites of UNESCO. The building, one of the richest
in marble furnishing in the Roman world, was excavated mostly
during the second half of the 20th century. In this paper, only part
of the sculptures and reliefs were studied. The furnishing were
analysed in situ by means of portable and totally non-invasive
techniques. By comparing the results obtained through imaging
techniques with analytical data and archaeological research, some
new information about the pigments and conservation history were
obtained.
Gli scavi Poletti dell'inizio dell'Ottocento misero in luce presso i carceres del Circo di Bovillae una serie di importanti iscrizioni relativi alla venerazione della casa imperiale e una statua di Caligola che entrò nella collezione... more
Gli scavi Poletti dell'inizio dell'Ottocento misero in luce presso i carceres del Circo di Bovillae una serie di importanti iscrizioni relativi alla venerazione della casa imperiale e una statua di Caligola che entrò nella collezione Colonna e attualmente si trova a Richmond.
The paper compares two major Constantinian monuments of Rome, the Arch and St Peter’s basilica, analysing them on the basis of the model of reception and negotiation proposed by Noel Lenski. While the first presents a completely... more
The paper compares two major Constantinian monuments of Rome, the Arch and St Peter’s basilica, analysing them on the basis of the model of reception and negotiation proposed by Noel Lenski. While the first presents a completely traditional and pagan Constantine, the latter proposes the mirror-image of a perfectly Christian emperor with a more complex play between the various actors of the communication. The senatorial Constantine and the Constantine of the Roman Church are, however, both true, because they both draw on real elements of imperial propaganda, selecting, isolating – and sometimes forcing – the most useful elements to shape the image each one needed to ‘build’ the Constantine closer and more favourable to his position. Choosing only one image or averaging between the two would be wrong and reductive and the only way to grasp the ‘true’ Constantine is to maintain the tension between the two poles of this opposition.
Riflessioni sui compiti della formazione universitaria nei confronti degli operatori culturali all'interno dei musei italiani dopo le riforme
The problem of the unfinished portrait heads on Roman sarcophagi is a long debated one. Several solutions have been proposed – serial production, superstition, finishing in stucco or painting – but none without its problems. Rather than... more
The problem of the unfinished portrait heads on Roman sarcophagi is a long debated one. Several solutions have been proposed – serial production, superstition, finishing in stucco or painting – but none without its problems. Rather than propose further explanation, this paper aims to contribute to the comprehension of the phenomenon from an anthropological and semiotic point of view. The sources and the archaeological evidence demonstrate a close connection between the name and the imago – the portrait of the deceased. The imago is equivalent to the name in the figural language, with the same capacity to identify a person (also from a juridical point of view). This conclusion means that the patron had his sarcophagus prepared while he was alive, but without finishing the portrait (a duty of the heirs).

And 123 more

La progettazione di un mondo eco-sostenibile, che sappia convivere con l'ambiente circostante rispettando gli equilibri ecologici, è una delle sfide delle comunità contemporanee, non a caso è tra le linee guida di Horizon 2020. La terza... more
La progettazione di un mondo eco-sostenibile, che sappia convivere con l'ambiente circostante rispettando gli equilibri ecologici, è una delle sfide delle comunità contemporanee, non a caso è tra le linee guida di Horizon 2020. La terza edizione di Landscape vuole tentare di declinare questa tematica nell'antichità, cercando di comprendere il livello di consapevolezza ecologica delle società antiche ed evidenziando quali sono state le scelte politiche ed economiche attuate tenendo in considerazione la componente ambientale. Il convegno, organizzato in collaborazione con l'Università di Bologna e la Consulta di Topografia Antica, si terrà tra il 5 ed il 6 maggio 2022 a Bologna e Ravenna.
La progettazione di un mondo eco-sostenibile, che sappia convivere con l'ambiente circostante rispettando gli equilibri ecologici, è una delle sfide delle comunità contemporanee, non a caso è tra le linee guida di Horizon 2020. La... more
La progettazione di un mondo eco-sostenibile, che sappia convivere con l'ambiente circostante rispettando gli equilibri ecologici, è una delle sfide delle comunità contemporanee, non a caso è tra le linee guida di Horizon 2020.

La terza edizione di Landscape vuole tentare di declinare questa tematica nell'antichità, cercando di comprendere il livello di consapevolezza ecologica delle società antiche ed evidenziando quali sono state le scelte politiche ed economiche attuate tenendo in considerazione la componente ambientale.

Il convegno, organizzato in collaborazione con l'Università di Bologna e la Consulta di Topografia Antica, si terrà tra il 5 ed il 6 maggio 2022 a Bologna e Ravenna.
La progettazione di un mondo eco-sostenibile, che sappia convivere con l'ambiente circostante rispettando gli equilibri ecologici, è una delle sfide delle comunità contemporanee, non a caso è tra le linee guida di Horizon 2020. La... more
La progettazione di un mondo eco-sostenibile, che sappia convivere con l'ambiente circostante rispettando gli equilibri ecologici, è una delle sfide delle comunità contemporanee, non a caso è tra le linee guida di Horizon 2020.

La terza edizione di Landscape vuole tentare di declinare questa tematica nell'antichità, cercando di comprendere il livello di consapevolezza ecologica delle società antiche ed evidenziando quali sono state le scelte politiche ed economiche attuate tenendo in considerazione la componente ambientale.

Il convegno si terrà tra il 5 ed il 6 maggio 2022, il primo giorno presso la sede di Bologna ed il secondo a Ravenna.

Per Info: www.archeolandscape.it
I cosiddetti “monocromi su marmo” provenienti da Ercolano e Pompei sono dieci tavole in marmo bianco, dipinte con raffigurazioni per lo più di tipo mitologico, conservate oggi al Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. Queste tavole, che... more
I cosiddetti “monocromi su marmo” provenienti da Ercolano e Pompei sono dieci tavole in marmo bianco, dipinte con raffigurazioni per lo più di tipo mitologico, conservate oggi al Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. Queste tavole, che originariamente decoravano pareti, lararia e, forse, giardini di domus appartenute a famiglie di alto livello sociale, rappresentano un unicum all’interno della produzione artistica romana, se si eccettuano due altri “monocromi” a soggetto mitologico oggi conservate al Kunsthistorisches Museum di Vienna. Il nome di “monocromi su marmo”, deriva dal fatto che le figure sembrano a prima vista delineate e, in alcuni casi, campite, con l’utilizzo esclusivo di un pigmento di colore rosso. In realtà, anche ad occhio nudo, sulle tavole possono ancora essere percepiti pigmenti di vari colori.
Le indagini scientifiche presentate in questo convegno sono state svolte con l’obbiettivo di ottenere una maggiore comprensione degli oggetti stessi e della loro iconografia, oltre ad una più approfondita conoscenza delle tecniche pittoriche utilizzate all’epoca attraverso lo studio dei materiali di cui sono costituiti. Più dettagliatamente le indagini diagnostiche sono state focalizzate per chiarire alcuni quesiti sollevati inizialmente dagli archeologi e per approfondire la conoscenza sulle tecniche di esecuzione dell’epoca
Per il raggiungimento di tali obiettivi sono state eseguite esclusivamente indagini di tipo non invasivo che potessero fornire le informazioni richieste e non apportare nessun danno alle opere.
Per quanto riguarda le tecniche multispettrali, le tavole sono state analizzate attraverso immagini fotografiche a diverse lunghezze d’onda. Le immagini sono state acquisite in ultravioletto riflesso (UVr), in fluorescenza ultravioletta (UV), nel vicino infrarosso (NIR) e in luminescenza indotta da luce visibile (VIL). Inoltre sono state acquisite, per la documentazione dello stato di conservazione, delle immagini in luce visibile e in luce radente e dei particolari al microscopio ottico portatile. Le tavole sono state anche analizzate con tecniche di elaborazione fotografica quali l’infrarosso falso colore (IRFC) e ultravioletto falso colore (UVFC).
Affiancate a queste tecniche che indagano simultaneamente tutta la superficie sono state effettuate analisi con tecniche puntuali quali la Spettroscopia in riflettanza a fibre ottiche nel range dell’ultravioletto e del visibile (FORS) e la Spettroscopia di fluorescenza X (XRF). Queste tecniche risultano particolarmente utili per la caratterizzazione dei pigmenti presenti.
L’unione dei dati archeologici e archeometrici ha permesso di ottenere nuove informazioni ed approfondire la conoscenza di questi particolari materiali.
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Internation colloquium in honor of Sible de Bllauw

paper: I VESCOVI E L’USO DEL RITRATTO IN ETÀ PALEOCRISTIANA
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This interdisciplinary conference hosted by the British School at Rome, sponsored by Newcastle University, the Università degli Studi di Firenze and the University of Amsterdam School of Historical Studies and organised in conjunction... more
This interdisciplinary conference hosted by the British School at Rome, sponsored by Newcastle University, the Università degli Studi di Firenze and the University of Amsterdam School of Historical Studies and organised in conjunction with the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome (KNIR).  The convenors are Ian Haynes, Paolo Liverani and Lex Bosman.  It brings together specialists in archaeology, architecture, art history, history, liturgy and topography to discuss recent research on S. Giovanni in Laterano.  As the first public building for Christian worship and the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome the site is of exceptional importance. Papers will address the origins of the site, its topographical context, the building, its history and its decorative scheme up to 1600.
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Bilancio sul sistema della tutela in Italia dopo la legge Madia e le deu successive riforme del Ministero dei Beni Culturali
The volume deals with the cost analysis of the construction of a typical house in the colony of Kasmene, founded in 644 B.C. by Syracuse in its project of territorial expansion and consolidation in south-eastern Sicily, but abandoned in... more
The volume deals with the cost analysis of the construction of a typical house in the colony of Kasmene, founded in 644 B.C. by Syracuse in its project of territorial expansion and consolidation in south-eastern Sicily, but abandoned in the middle of the fourth century B.C. This analysis takes into account the use of man-hours, materials and resources of various kinds, according to the approach that has been called Architectural Energetics in the last two decades. The author does not limit himself to assessing the construction costs of a single dwelling, but cross-references these data with a demographic analysis in order to understand the effort and time required to build the dwellings of the colony as a whole, with a number of important implications that go beyond the history of the chosen site.
Recensione del volume dedicato alla storia e topografia dei luoghi dell'amministrazione a Roma in età tardo-republicana e imperiale
Recensione del corpus dei pavimenti cementizi con inserti di tessere musive
Il volume rappresenta un importante sforzo per superare un’impostazione degli studi che tendeva a privilegiare i problemi del percorso (Aurelia Vetus / Aurelia Scauri) e della sua datazione, nonché i luoghi comuni sulla sua decadenza... more
Il volume rappresenta un importante sforzo per superare un’impostazione degli studi che tendeva a privilegiare i problemi del percorso (Aurelia Vetus / Aurelia Scauri) e della sua datazione, nonché i luoghi comuni sulla sua decadenza tardoantica. Benché sia chiaro che la viabilità perde la sua funzione di lunga percorrenza e acquista un valore locale e frammentato alla fine dell’evo antico, essa costituisce un elemento fondamentale per ogni ricerca sull’evoluzione del popolamento, sulla storia e l’economia della regione durante l’età imperiale e per tutto il Medioevo: il convegno raccoglie dunque una ricca messe di novità archeologiche e di documenti. Pecche minori si possono individuare nell’ordinamento con cui si susseguono i contributi, poco comprensibile al lettore, e nel corredo cartografico non sempre all’altezza. Nel complesso però il volume è un punto fermo nella ricerca, che costituirà l’opera di riferimento per molti anni per tutti coloro che si occupano di questo territorio con una visione di lungo periodo.
The volume is organized into five parts. The first, Framing the Frame’, consists of a long, dense and extremely stimulating contribution by the editors, synthetizing and developing the work of the entire group of authors. Four more parts... more
The volume is organized into five parts. The first, Framing the Frame’, consists of a long, dense and extremely stimulating contribution by the editors, synthetizing and developing the work of the entire group of authors. Four more parts follow, analysing (and framing) different fields: Pictorial Space, Bodies, the Sacred, and, finally, Texts. The first paper, ‘Framing the visual in Greek and Roman antiquity: an introduction’, reflects on the core of the volume. Platt and Squire set forth the most interesting results and methodological innovations of the book in a clear and convincing way.
review of the first systematic and analithical study of the polychromy of the funerary Etruscan Architecture of the rock necropolis at Sovana (Grosseto - Italy)
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This book offers a view of extraordinary scope, both in terms of space and time, about the use and re-use of marble. The area is the Mediterranean between the 7th and the 15th-16th centuries, and this study considers not only the two... more
This book offers a view of extraordinary scope, both in terms of space and time, about the use and re-use of marble. The area is the Mediterranean between the 7th and the 15th-16th centuries, and this study considers not only the two parts which were heirs to the Roman Empire and to classical civilisation, but also the various cultures of Islam down to the Mamluks and the Ottoman Empire.
prefazione
Profile of Prof. Ferdinando Castagnoli
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Atti del workshop (Frascati, Scuderie Aldobrandini, 13-14 dicembre 2010) Horti Hesperidum. Studi di storia del collezionismo e della storiografia artistica, II, 2012, 1 (ISBN: 8865072868)
the history of the coastal Latium with a focus on the territopry of the Vicus Augustanus in the Presidential estate of Castel Portiano from the Iron age to the early Middleages
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La riforma Franceschini dei Beni Culturali pretende di realizzare una approccio "olistico" ma nella neolingua ministeriale si può tradurre con termine meno nobile ma più comprensibile: la tutela è ridotta a spezzatino
V. Emiliani, Lo sfascio del Belpaese, 2017 (Solfanelli ed.)
presentazione Roma - Associazione Giornalisti 10/04/2017
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Impatto negativo della riforma Franceschini sulla ricerca
infortuni della bibliometria Scopus
Assurdità e opacità dellì'ANVUR durante l'emergenza Coronavirus
Review of the catalogue of the Wilshere collection at the Ashmolean Museum
Misuse of the archaeological remains on the Palatine Hill close to S. Sebastiano Church for a Rock Concert
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Ferrara 31 maggio - 2 giugno 2018
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Comparison among 3D images created in the last twenty years with different criteria, ends, and means, illustrating the Roman Forum as examples for a comparative approach and some methodological considerations about the issue of the... more
Comparison among 3D images created in the last twenty years with different criteria, ends, and means, illustrating the Roman Forum as examples for a comparative approach and some methodological considerations about the issue of the virtual 3D reconstruction of ancient monuments.
Conclusioni dei tre webinar del dipartimento SAGAS dell'Università di Firenze sul futuro dei beni culturali di Firenze dopo la pandemia
German edition of my article of 2019 on Athenaeum about the list of donations to Pope Silvester by Constantine
This work is a new step in the research about "Monochromes on marbles", twelve painted marble slabs. Among them, ten are from Pompeii and Herculaneum, and two are probably from Rome. The ten slabs from Pompeii and Herculaneum are now... more
This work is a new step in the research about "Monochromes on marbles", twelve painted marble slabs. Among them, ten are from Pompeii and Herculaneum, and two are probably from Rome. The ten slabs from Pompeii and Herculaneum are now preserved in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples and the other two in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. These marble pinakes were set in walls of roman buildings with iron clamps, in altars for domestic cults, or probably in gardens of rich private houses. The scenes represent different subjects spanning from mythological to athletic ones. Their name, Monochromes, was chosen in the 18 th century due to the red colour visible on the surface, but actually the slabs show also green, yellow, brown and black colours, still visible to the naked eye. The paper presents the results obtained in an in-situ analytical campaign carried out on the ten slabs of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples by using a set of portable, non-invasive techniques. The techniques used can be divided in two groups: 1) special photographic techniques (Ultraviolet reflected photography, Ultraviolet fluorescence photography, Ultraviolet false colour, Near Infrared photography, Infrared false colour, Visible Induced Luminescence) and 2) single spot analyses (X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, Fibre Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy in VIS). Portable Optical Microscopy was used for the documentation of each single spot analysed. Crossing the results obtained with both imaging techniques and single spot analyses some new information about drawings, pigments and conservation history have been provided, contributing to deepen the knowledge of this rare kind of archaeological objects.
In collaborazione con l'Università di Foggia e il comune di Pietramontecorvino si propone la seconda edizione del convegno Landscape: una sintesi di elementi diacronici. Il tema del convegno sarà: Crisi e resilienza nel mondo antico. La... more
In collaborazione con l'Università di Foggia e il comune di Pietramontecorvino si propone la seconda edizione del convegno Landscape: una sintesi di elementi diacronici.

Il tema del convegno sarà: Crisi e resilienza nel mondo antico.

La resilienza come capacità di conservare “il potenziale” per ristabilire le condizioni iniziali a seguito di una fase di crisi, in sintesi: come capacità di rinnovarsi. La seconda edizione di Landscape si propone di indagare quest’argomento proiettandolo nel campo dell’archeologia e del mondo antico. Le trasformazioni del paesaggio saranno il focus principale del convegno, l'obiettivo sarà quello di fornire una panoramica di ampio respiro sul concetto di resilienza nelle società antiche.

Il convegno avrà luogo a Foggia e a Pietramontecorvino dal 26-28 febbraio 2021, ma qualora le disposizioni governative lo imponessero, potrebbe svolgersi attraverso una piattaforma digitale.

La deadline per la presentazione di un poster o di un paper è fissata al 31.12.2020.
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How can we undertake multidisciplinary research in large, archaeologically complex and intensely urbanised settings in an effective way? How can we successfully manage the acquisition, processing, and integration of BIG data derived from... more
How can we undertake multidisciplinary research in large, archaeologically complex and intensely urbanised settings in an effective way? How can we successfully manage the acquisition, processing, and integration of BIG data derived from multiple research methodologies? Finally, how can we offer the scientific community a transparent, open access and multivocal process of data discussion and interpretation on urban scale projects? Started in October 2019, the ERC-funded Rome Transformed project aims at understanding the transformation of South Eastern Rome in 1-8 centuries CE. The project develops multidisciplinary research on a scale and complexity never attempted before on ancient and early medieval Rome, bringing together data derived from the recording (3D scanning, SFM, photogrammetry) and the archaeological reassessment of historical excavations, archival research, geophysical survey (single and multi-antenna GPR, ERT) and borehole analysis, covering a surface of 69 hectares. This conference aims to review these methods and their results as part of an inter-disciplinary debate on approaches to non-intrusive methodologies, to studying and safeguarding the historic environment, to advancing research into urban development, and to blending and integrating different streams of data as part of large area projects. We welcome papers that examine innovative methodologies for large bodies of data capture, integration and dissemination in complex, large scale urban settings and that discuss projects in an advanced state or at a reasonable level of completion.
Webinar - Réseau - ERA Ecologia Roma Antica - ÉRA - Écologie Rome Ancienne (23 -10- 2020) - WEBEX
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