Canosa

Considering the reality of decentralization of power in Northern Italy in the XI and XII centuries, where the presence of active social forces such as the Papacy and the German Empire was undeniable, we find Matilda of Canossa, Countess of Tuscany and Duchess of Lorraine who held the position of manager of a remarkable land fortune which she had inherited and which we call “domestic sphere”. This project aims to show her acting facing a political exercise of local nature, that is, somewhat different from the social role that is attributed to her by the classical historiography. In order for such analysis elaboration to be possible, we use other definitions, less conventional concepts that help us position Matilda in a central place, as well as identify in her actions, elements which correspond to a comprehensive and autonomous management. She is the householder that administrates movable and immovable property, people and castles, plantations and livestock. Besides the procedures related to material matters of practical order, she was also in charge of moral, and sometimes spiritual, orientation of her dependants. The countess shows her political relevance when we find her involved in episodes such as the council which took place in Mantua in  1064 ‘capital’ of her domains; or even when she divorced her first husband, regaining the control of her inheritance, which allows the argumentation of a sovereignty and self-government conduct.

Dans cet article, qui découle d’une thèse de doctorat, on propose une nouvelle classification de la céramique dite listata, produite à Canosa (Apulie) à partir de la moitié du IVème siècle av. J.-C., subdivisée en deux phases de production (I et II) et en plusieurs groupes à l’intérieur de celles-ci, sur la base de l’analyse des motifs décoratifs, de l’évolution des formes et de la syntaxe décorative (en particulier grâce à l’observation des deux formes principales, l’askos globulaire et l’askos à deux cols).
La production de la première phase, qui se termine dans la première moitié du IIIème siècle av. J.-C., est encore enracinée dans la tradition indigène, alors que la phase suivante (250-80 av. J.-C. environ) se caractérise par l’adoption de motifs tirés du répertoire grec, ainsi que de certaines formes de même origine, bien que réélaborées (thymiaterion, amphoriskos, etc.).
Les rares motifs et scènes figurées présents sur ces vases (en particulier sur l’askos Catarinella) peuvent souvent être mis en relation avec le thème du voyage vers l’au-delà, dans un contexte dionysiaque. Ce thème est très répandu dans le monde italique et son adoption par les élites de Canosa indique leur adhésion à la koiné hellénistique, ce qui est démontré également par les objets précieux (verres, orfèvreries, …) retrouvés dans les tombes.
La distribution des lieux de trouvaille de la céramique listata qui s’élargit au fil du temps, semble, quant à elle, suivre les différentes étapes de la romanisation de la Daunie et souligne l’importance de plus en plus grande de Canosa, fidèle alliée de Rome durant toute cette période.
Cette classe céramique disparaît au moment où les populations locales ont désormais adopté la culture romaine et l’askos Catarinella, avec sa représentation de cortège funéraire comprenant des éléments typiquement centre-italiques, nous en offre une image très parlante.

This paper presents the Medieval and Byzantine works of art in Apulia studied by Jean-Baptiste Seroux d'Agincourt (1730-1814), some of them published in his Histoire de l'Art par les monumens depuis sa décadence au IVe siècle jusqu'à son renouvellement au XVIe. It is aimed to discover the d’Agincourt’s sources, drawings, prints and news collected by him, the idea he had about the Apulia’s territory and its monuments.

This paper takes as a starting-point a number of iconic artefacts from the famous ship-burial excavated in Mound 1 at Sutton Hoo (c. AD 625-650) – the helmet, shoulder-clasps and gold buckle – and considers the fantastic creatures which adorn them. Attention is devoted to the nature, origin and symbolism of the two-headed serpent surmounting the helmet, and also the winged dragon on the helmet’s face-mask, with its wing-tips decorated with boar-heads in relief. The intersecting boars formed from intricately shaped garnets on the shoulder-clasps, demand an explanation, as does the solitary biting quadruped on the terminal of the gold reliquary-buckle. However fantastic these creatures might appear to be, it is argued that the beasts on each object can be given a consistent Christian explanation, recognisable on diverse objects found in Europe at the time of the conversion.

Conferenza "La stele daunia di Cattolica e le raffigurazioni navali dei Dauni" all'interno del Convegno "I Dauni in Adriatico. Un rinvenimento archeologico straordinario per la conoscenza della navigazione nell'Adriatico antico e dell'insediamento di Cattolica in età preromana" tenutosi a Cattolica il 26 agosto 2021

Riccardo Pasqualin, Sulla corruzione del secolo circa la mutazione dei vocaboli e delle idee di Antonio Capece Minutolo [recensione], in Sololibri.net, 03/06/2002:
https://www.sololibri.net/Sulla-corruzione-del-secolo-circamutazione-vocaboli-idee-Capece-Minutolo.html

In 2005 C.I.S.M.U.S. – Centro Interdipartimentale di Servizi per la Museologia Scientifica dell’Università di Bari, acquired a 3D scanner and prototyping supply set, stressing it in new features and application in different ambits and cooperation, has university’s museology, studying Geo-paleontological sites, history of art and Study of materials  ecc.
A new cooperation with the Anthropology Lab. of the Biology Dep. Of the UNIBA has improved their experience on forensic facial reconstruction from nude human skull, adding 3D technology to the manual procedures.
The sample selected for the first experience resulted a male subject coming from a rich sepulture excavated in the Baptistery of S. Giovanni in Canosa di Puglia aged to IV – III sec. a.C. and excavated by Prof. Raffaella Cassano and Prof. Gianluca Mastrocinque, of the Antiquity Dep. Of the UNIBA.
During the experimentation of materials and methods educational aspect of the research was carried on to underline modern science procedures and future work opportunities to secondary school students.
The cooperation involved the art school “De Nittis” of Bari, in a project called “ Give a face to an antique Apulian”. Students was directly involved in manual and conceptual features, pushed in searching for materials and solutions learned during art courses, in search of the right compromise between science and realistic restitution of the face reconstruction, and in end cooperating for the didactic show of the results in the Earth Science Museum in Bari.