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.

Table of Contents:
Premessa Presentazione Prefazione I. Introduzione.Breve storia degli studi II. I Romani in mare.Considerazioni preliminari III. L’approvvigionamento di Roma.Un sistema portuale integrato IV. Le flotte militari di Augusto.La navigazione in area flegrea ed alto-adriatica V. Sul modello dell’Urbs.Gli scali commerciali nel resto della Penisola VI. L’epoca tardoantica.Tra crisi e nuove fondazioni VII. Napoli sul mare.Un quartiere costiero dei Bizantini VIII. Commerci ed empori tra Mar del Nord e Adriatico bizantino IX. Gli scali fluviali dei Longobardi e Carolingi.Religiosi e mercanti in affari X. Tecniche costruttive ed uso del legno nella cantieristica post-classica XI. Considerazioni conclusive Bibliografia