Page 68 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 9(1) (2021)
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nged. This great historical phase brought onstudia universitatis her editati, letnik 9 (2021), številk a 1 / volume 9 (2021), number 1 68published on Fiesole Lombard materials (but
a new civilization that, among various differenc- not on the complete amount) was Otto von Hes-
es, spread all over Europe and that was created byhereditati sen in 1971 (von Hessen 1971b).
the early Christian culture and by multicultur-
al values. The archaeological materials present- Fiesole during Lombard domination
ed here represent this historical phase in Fiesole. As already mentioned, between the second half
In a broad sense, these objects allow us to under- of the 6th and the 7th century C.E. Tuscany saw
stand the development of Fiesole, thus consider- many changes in political and historical condi-
ing them as a fundamental material aspect of the tions so that several cities (Ciampoltrini 1994,
Lombard society that characterized the town 615-633; Vaccaro and Citter 2003; Brogiolo 2005;
since the end of the 6th century C.E. As we will Citter 2012) – such as Lucca (Ciampoltrini and
see, the weapons in question do not come from Notini 1990; Ciampoltrini 2011), Pisa (Alberti
scientifically documented archaeological layers, and Paribeni 2011), Pistoia (Vannini 1985; Van-
but their analysis, however, constitute a funda- nini1987; Vannini 1997, 37-54), Florence (Scam-
mental part for the study of the Lombard herit- poli 2010), Fiesole (von Hessen 1971b; Von Hes-
age of Fiesole. sen 1975; Biondi 2018b; Biondi 2019a), Siena
(Cantini 2005), Arezzo (Molinari and Nespoli
In the last years, various studies have been 2005), Luni (Lusuardi Siena 2003), Cosa (Celuz-
carried out on the Lombard presence in Tusca- za and Fentress 1994), Roselle (Celuzza and Fen-
ny between the 6th and the 8th century C.E., tress 1994), and Chiusi (Falluomini 2009) –
though at the moment there is not a complete or met some sensitive topographical and material
defined research. All these cases regard coastal transformations while the stability of the urban
Tuscany or the south-western part of the region, structures proved to be particularly firm in those
but the northeastern part (along the Apennine more strategically important demic centers (Jar-
mountains) is the richest from an archaeolog- nut 2002; Petersen 2013).
ical point of view. Furthermore, between the
end of the 6th C.E. and the end of Lombards’ Following the Lombard invasion of Italy in
Kingdom, it was the site of the military bor- 568 C.E., the duchies of Lucca and Chiusi were
der between Lombards and Imperials. Tuscany created (perhaps due to the pre-existence in loco
was not conquered by the Lombards in the first of garrisons of Lombards foederati and exercital-
phase of their Italian invasion, but in a second es of the Empire) and Tuscia gradually went out
one, at the time of King Agilulf of the Bavari- from the political influence of the Eastern Ro-
an dynasty around 593-594 C.E. From this mo- man Empire (Jarnut 2002). Only with the of-
ment (or little before), in Tuscia there was one of fensive of King Agilulf of 593-594 C.E., also the
the most important Italian Lombard cities, that north-eastern portion of the region, with the
is Lucca as a ducal capital. However, also oth- centers of Pistoia, Fiesole, and Florence (Vannini
er cities, such as Chiusi (the other Tuscan ducal 1997; Magno 1998; Biondi 2018a), were finally in-
city), Arezzo, Pistoia, Siena, and Pisa have Lom- cluded in the Lombard Regnum, through the di-
bard traces. Besides these cases, several signifi- verticulum of the via Cassia between Lucca and
cant early medieval urban burials were dug also Pistoia (Alfieri 1992).
in Fiesole, between 1986 and 2015. Fiesole could
be a particularly important step forward for the Moving on to the topography of Fiesole
knowledge of Lombard presence in Tuscany be- (Fig. 1), the actual Archaeological Area is located
cause of the presence of 90 partially or complete- in its northern portion with the remains of the
ly unpublished tombs from the various cemeter- theater, the baths and the temple dating from
ies dated between the 6th and the 8th centuries the 1st century C.E. and progressively decon-
C.E. One of the most important scholars who structed from the 4th century C.E. and partially
used for funerary purposes between the 4th and
a new civilization that, among various differenc- not on the complete amount) was Otto von Hes-
es, spread all over Europe and that was created byhereditati sen in 1971 (von Hessen 1971b).
the early Christian culture and by multicultur-
al values. The archaeological materials present- Fiesole during Lombard domination
ed here represent this historical phase in Fiesole. As already mentioned, between the second half
In a broad sense, these objects allow us to under- of the 6th and the 7th century C.E. Tuscany saw
stand the development of Fiesole, thus consider- many changes in political and historical condi-
ing them as a fundamental material aspect of the tions so that several cities (Ciampoltrini 1994,
Lombard society that characterized the town 615-633; Vaccaro and Citter 2003; Brogiolo 2005;
since the end of the 6th century C.E. As we will Citter 2012) – such as Lucca (Ciampoltrini and
see, the weapons in question do not come from Notini 1990; Ciampoltrini 2011), Pisa (Alberti
scientifically documented archaeological layers, and Paribeni 2011), Pistoia (Vannini 1985; Van-
but their analysis, however, constitute a funda- nini1987; Vannini 1997, 37-54), Florence (Scam-
mental part for the study of the Lombard herit- poli 2010), Fiesole (von Hessen 1971b; Von Hes-
age of Fiesole. sen 1975; Biondi 2018b; Biondi 2019a), Siena
(Cantini 2005), Arezzo (Molinari and Nespoli
In the last years, various studies have been 2005), Luni (Lusuardi Siena 2003), Cosa (Celuz-
carried out on the Lombard presence in Tusca- za and Fentress 1994), Roselle (Celuzza and Fen-
ny between the 6th and the 8th century C.E., tress 1994), and Chiusi (Falluomini 2009) –
though at the moment there is not a complete or met some sensitive topographical and material
defined research. All these cases regard coastal transformations while the stability of the urban
Tuscany or the south-western part of the region, structures proved to be particularly firm in those
but the northeastern part (along the Apennine more strategically important demic centers (Jar-
mountains) is the richest from an archaeolog- nut 2002; Petersen 2013).
ical point of view. Furthermore, between the
end of the 6th C.E. and the end of Lombards’ Following the Lombard invasion of Italy in
Kingdom, it was the site of the military bor- 568 C.E., the duchies of Lucca and Chiusi were
der between Lombards and Imperials. Tuscany created (perhaps due to the pre-existence in loco
was not conquered by the Lombards in the first of garrisons of Lombards foederati and exercital-
phase of their Italian invasion, but in a second es of the Empire) and Tuscia gradually went out
one, at the time of King Agilulf of the Bavari- from the political influence of the Eastern Ro-
an dynasty around 593-594 C.E. From this mo- man Empire (Jarnut 2002). Only with the of-
ment (or little before), in Tuscia there was one of fensive of King Agilulf of 593-594 C.E., also the
the most important Italian Lombard cities, that north-eastern portion of the region, with the
is Lucca as a ducal capital. However, also oth- centers of Pistoia, Fiesole, and Florence (Vannini
er cities, such as Chiusi (the other Tuscan ducal 1997; Magno 1998; Biondi 2018a), were finally in-
city), Arezzo, Pistoia, Siena, and Pisa have Lom- cluded in the Lombard Regnum, through the di-
bard traces. Besides these cases, several signifi- verticulum of the via Cassia between Lucca and
cant early medieval urban burials were dug also Pistoia (Alfieri 1992).
in Fiesole, between 1986 and 2015. Fiesole could
be a particularly important step forward for the Moving on to the topography of Fiesole
knowledge of Lombard presence in Tuscany be- (Fig. 1), the actual Archaeological Area is located
cause of the presence of 90 partially or complete- in its northern portion with the remains of the
ly unpublished tombs from the various cemeter- theater, the baths and the temple dating from
ies dated between the 6th and the 8th centuries the 1st century C.E. and progressively decon-
C.E. One of the most important scholars who structed from the 4th century C.E. and partially
used for funerary purposes between the 4th and
