Overview

In the Imperial Age, many ports in Italy had been built in opus coementicium. The most important ones were in Latium (eg. Portus Romae, Antium and Centumcellae), in the Phlegrean Fields (portus Iulius, Misenum, Puteoli and Baiae) and along the northern-Adriatic coast (Classis-Ravenna, Aquileia and Altino). The military fleets of Augustus, in particular, were quartered in the ports of Classis and Misenum. Most Roman ports were located at river mouths and/or in lagoon areas and were connected with inland areas by rivers or artificial canals. For this reason, port structures (piers and warehouses) were set at some distance from the sea, as in Rome (Emporium of Testaccio along the Tiber), in Pisa-San Rossore and in the Po valley. In Late Antiquity many of the Roman ports gradually fell into disuse while others continued until the 7th century. In Ravenna, however, a new port settlement, known as Civitas Classis, came into being in the 5th century, after the creation of the suburb of Portus Romae. In the Early Middle Ages, the northern-Adriatic coast became very important in connection with trade with Constantinople. New settlements equipped with timber port structures were created at Comacchio, Cittanova and in the Venetian lagoon. If maritime trade in the Tyrrhenian Sea decreased (although to a lesser extent in Byzantine towns like Naples), river-borne traade was still dynamic and often managed by abbeys and other ecclesiastical institutions. According to historical sources, many river wharves were located along the Po while San Vincenzo abbey managed the Volturno river. The Carolingian river wharves of San Vincenzo were composed of timber, stone and, according to the Roman tradition, concrete structures. A slow recovery of maritime trades is already evident in the Carolingian Age. This book analyses the Roman and early medieval ports of Italy and the building techniques used in their structures; it displays the elements of continuity and discontinuity revealed during these centuries.

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9781789692204

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'Settore affascinante dell'archeologia - specie per chi ami la storia della navigazione - e quello trattato in questo importante libro di Alessandro Luciano, del Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli (MANN), che c'illustra tutta una serie di ricerche e rinvenimenti riguardanti porti marittimi e approdi fluviali antichi e del primo Medioevo.' -- Renato Ferraro * Lega Navale * 'A fascinating branch of archaeology-especially for those who love the history of navigation-is the one treated in this important book by Alessandro Luciano, from the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN), which illustrates a whole series of research and discoveries regarding seaports, and ancient and early medieval river landings.' -- Renato Ferraro * Lega Navale *

Author Information

Alessandro Luciano works at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN). His main scientific interests relate to the transition between Antiquity and the Middle Ages, with particular regard to port structures, the cult of saints and relics, religious architecture, the evolution of the city of Naples and the processing of bone.

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