Overview
The cult of relics, encouraged by, among others, the emperor Constantine, Pope Damasus and the bishops Ambrose of Milan and Paulinus of Nola, led to the transformation of the Late Antique Italian landscape, and of suburban areas in particular. The process of gradual enhancement of the martyrs' tombs led to the creation of extensive sanctuaries, generally composed of funerary and cultic buildings, as well as service structures, pilgrims' lodgings and monasteries. The most important sanctuaries, such as those of Saints Peter in the Vatican, Paul on the Ostiense, Erasmus in Formia, Alexander in Nomentum, Felix in Cimitile, Gennaro in Naples, Felix in Venosa, Marcianus in Syracuse, and the Apostles in Concordia Sagittaria, became so popular that they justified Jerome's phrase: movetur urbs sedibus suis et currit ad martyrum tumulos. Between the 5th and 6th century, sanctuaries spread also in rural areas, usually along important roads, as documented by the site of San Canzian d'Isonzo. Analysing hypogeal and subdial contexts, Santuari e spazi confessionali nell’Italia tardoantica outlines the evolution of loca sancta, in a process that led the venerated tombs to become first memoriae, then places of worship and finally articulated sanctuaries. For the first time, the contexts of Rome are organically compared with those of the rest of Italy.
Full Product Details
Author: Alessandro Luciano
Publisher: Archaeopress
Imprint: Archaeopress
Weight: 0.988kg
ISBN: 9781789697544
ISBN 10: 1789697549
Pages: 274
Publication Date: 27 May 2021
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Language: Italian
Reviews
‘Questo libro, quindi, che si caratterizza per una ricchezza di casi analizzati e al contempo di tematiche centrali per l’archeologia cristiana, grazie anche ad uno stile linguistico attento ma mai inutilmente pretenzioso, si pone come ottimo strumento guida per il lettore che, ancora inesperto, si appresta ad affrontare questo tipo di argomenti, ma anche per l’archeologo specialista che necessita di rintracciare dati sui singoli contesti o confronti utili per le proprie ricerche.’ [translated: ‘This book, therefore, which is characterized by a wealth of cases analyzed and at the same time of central themes for Christian archaeology, thanks also to a linguistic style attentive but never unnecessarily pretentious, it acts as an excellent guiding tool for the reader who, still inexperienced, is preparing to tackle this type of topic, but also for the archaeologist specialist who needs to track down data on individual contexts or useful comparisons for your own research.’] – Alessia Frisetti (2023): Rivista di Archeologia Cristiana
Author Information
Alessandro Luciano works at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples and has a PhD in the Science of Antiquity. His main scientific interests lie in the transition between Antiquity and the Middle Ages. He has published dozens of articles in specialist and popular journals and presented the results of his research at national and international conferences. He has published several books, including further academic studies alongside works of historical fiction.
