Il sistema dei Casali Fortezza. Il caso studio di Castellaccio di Monteroni

The Casali Fortezza system. The case study of Castellaccio di MonteroniThe landscape of Lazio’s Tyrrhenian coasts is strongly characterized by the presence of fortifications. Parallel to them, in the interland, the baronial expansion, between the tenth and eleventh centuries, paved the way to a large-scale fortification of the Roman countryside. Along the main routes were built lookout towers, farmhouses were consolidated with defense mechanism and the first castles were constructed. The research focuses on the study of Castellaccio di Monteroni in Ladispoli, built in the fifteenth century on Roman structures and on previous constructions dating back to the period of the Baronial expansion. The Castellaccio di Monteroni is one of the few remaining examples of Casale Fortificato (Fortified Manor). It is placed on the 35th kilometer of the Via Aurelia and takes its name Castellaccio from the abandonment over the centuries and Monteroni due to the heaps of the nearby Etruscan necropolis. The main function carried out over the centuries was a resting place, a sure point of reference for couriers, travelers and pilgrims traveling along the Via Aurelia. When in the nineteenth the route of the Via Aurelia was moved to the present one the fortification fell into abandonment. The analysis of this architecture is of great interest, not only for the knowledge of the geometry of the fortifications of the Roman countryside, but also because it is one of the few remaining examples of Casale Fortificato, representing a rare medieval architectural heritage.

I Casali e le Architetture della Campagna Romana nel Basso Medioevo. Realtà archeologica e fonti documentarie

The Casali and the Architectures of the Campagna Romana in the Late Middle Ages. Archeaological and archive sourcesThe territory of the Roman countryside in the Late Middle Ages was extended from the city of Rome to 40 miles in the Suburb, between the coasts of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Albani Mountains, the Lepini Mountains and the course of the Tiber. In the twelfth century various events started in this territory which will greatly influence its appearance until today: the castra arise, as forms of aggregation of a territory enclosed by defensive elements; burgi and villae, small fortified centers; and the casali, special production farmhouses characterized by the presence of a tower and other defensive, residential and productive structures. The militarization of the landscape began for reasons partly linked to the general instability of the period. Despite the basic differentiations in the forms of the population as in the functionalities themselves entrusted to the circumscribed territory, the forms of the basic architecture remained the same: the tower, the walls, albeit in variety in terms of technique, magnificence and complexity. This research can be tackled thanks to a direct analysis of the architecture of the towers which characterize the Roman countryside, occasionally accompanied by other elements, like the walls. The results of this study can be compared with the information reported in medieval sources, in which a specific language is used to describe the architecture and the characteristics of every form of human anthropization. The analysis of the differences and affinities between these territorially structures and the comparison with the contemporary urban architectures, allows to recreate a general picture of the architecture in the Roman countryside in the Low Middle Ages.

The Geogarden of the University Roma Tre: creation of a prototype of a Geological Garden of Lazio for the dissemination of Geological Sciences in Rome

<p>Between 2017 and 2019, a prototype of a geological garden for the dissemination of Geological Sciences to the general public was created in the open-air spaces of the Department of Sciences of the Roma Tre University. This first nucleus is the result of a Citizen Science activity carried out by students of the High Schools of Rome and its province, conceived and guided by a group of University researchers and high school teachers, in collaboration with local institutions and some mining companies operating in the surroundings of Rome. Currently the prototype consists of six large rock samples representative of lithotypes cropping out in the Roman Campaign and in the nearby Central Apennines that allow to tell the evolution of the territory surrounding the city of Rome since about 15 Ma ago, with particular reference to the history of the Roman countryside in the Quaternary period. Guided tours for schools and a general public and events popularizing scientific culture at various scales have represented the main dissemination activities carried out so far. Currently the garden is being expanded and integrated with numerous plant species representative of the botanical heritage of the Lazio region.</p>

THE FARMHOUSES OF THE ROMAN COUNTRYSIDE: CENSUS AND CATALOG. THE CASE OF THE ESTATE OF FARNESIANA

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Rome is one of the cities with the largest green areas in the world, spread in villas and estates, within the municipal territory. But there is also a landscape triangle that radially branches out from the historic center, including a variety of unique situations (archaeological, historical – social, settlement, agriculture ...) in the world: the <i>Caffarella</i> and aqueducts Park. Inside, the Farnesiana estate, Capo di Bove, it's a witness of a widespread degradation process in the Roman countryside, which requires a gradual procedure of knowledge, cataloguing, restoration and re-functioning of the historical heritage. In this regard, the research is part of a larger study project of the Department of Architecture of Roma Tre, concerning farmhouses of the Roman countryside that deal with worrying degradation conditions and which require imminent intervention.</p>

wetlands (bog, marsh)

The most common words to designate a marsh, a swamp, or a bog are helos in ancient Greek and palus in Latin; beside these terms, less common words were also employed. Literary and epigraphic texts give evidence for marshlands in the countryside, in the coastal areas, and also close to urban agglomerations. The sources often give evidence for drainage activity, but cases of extensive drainage are rare. In fact, they were possible only at public expense, by employing free or slave labor. On the other hand, several territories were characterized by a sort of marsh economy. Although rarely portrayed in literature, and despite the risk of malaria, marshy areas presented some economic potential: fishing, hunting, salt extraction, and farming. In many respects, the negative image of wetlands is a modern invention. The contrast between the rational order of the Roman countryside and the “barbaric” medieval landscape was introduced by the Enlightenment, and must be treated with caution.