Page 70 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 9(1) (2021)
P. 70
dia universitatis her editati, letnik 9 (2021), številk a 1 / volume 9 (2021), number 1 70In the southern portion of Fiesole, in theviduals and some fragments of pottery currently
park of Villa Marchi-Mussi, a single isolated missing. The tombs of Piazza Garibaldi, found
hereditatitomb with two silver pins and a pottery (now between 1878 and 1882, would be framed in a 7th
missing) was found during the 20th century century C.E. period of deposition inside still vis-
(Pasqui 1907). ible but partially defunctionalized buildings of
the 1st-2nd century C.E. that were probably used
The western portion of the city would have as a sepulchral area already from the 4th-5th cen-
been the seat of an arce, a strong point of the city tury C.E. (Aleardi 1990). According to the anal-
defenses, placed to guard the road network be- ysis of the grave goods (ceramics, belt elements
tween Florence and the Mugello and datable and glass objects) of these burials made up by
to the Etruscan-Hellenistic age (4th-3rd centu- O. von Hessen (von Hessen 1971b), R. Francov-
ry B.C.E.). The basilica of S. Alessandro (men- ich (Francovich 1984), and C. Giostra (Giostra
tioned since 966 C.E. with the name of San Pie- 2000), the tombs could be datable to the second
tro in Gerusalemme) is located in the south/east half of the 7th century C.E.
of the arce and it is dedicated to one of the oldest
bishop-saints of the diocese of Fiesole. In 1814, Finally, the Area Garibaldi (Fig. 2) was ex-
10 tombs dug directly in the rock were brought cavated between 1986 and 2015 and would have
to light under its churchyard (Aleardi 1990). seen the foundation of at least two domus in the
One of these was covered by a stone slab with a upper imperial era (1st-2nd century C.E.) direct-
carved cross comparable with a case of Arsago ly on outcrops of natural rock (Cianferoni, Mi-
Seprio in Lombardy (De Marchi 2015), while a nucci and Pianigiani 2009). From the 4th-5th
gold cross with decorations (today missing) was century C.E. these domus were subdivided into
recovered within a second tomb (Aleardi 1990). small rooms for craft and production use with
These elements and the fact that the tombs were shops open around the courtyard of the previous
arranged in relation to the church would lead southern domus, a caupona and at least a macel-
to date them between the late 7th and 8th cen- lum (De Marinis 1990; Cianferoni, De Tomma-
turies C.E., a moment in which the practice of so and Megale 2015). The 6th century C.E. (espe-
burying with funeral equipment was gradually cially its second half) would have represented a
lesser-used and the social distinction would no more sensitive moment of urban change as mas-
longer be entrusted to the materiality of the ob- sive layers of collapse of Roman structures were
jects, but to the relationship of burials with ec- formed throughout the area and, above all, a
clesiastical buildings, as a consequence of the clear promiscuity between structures and tombs
catholicization of Lombard society (Rotili 2001; was established (Biondi 2019b).
Giostra 2014).
In detail traces of housing structures (in
The eastern part of the city was character- perishable materials) and some burials have been
ized by a predominant necropolar function be- documented (Aleardi 1990). Finally, the first
tween the end of the 6th and the middle of the Lombard tombs were excavated in these collaps-
7th century C.E. In this context is located the es from the last decade of the 6th century C.E.
site of Area Garibaldi (where were found some and, overall, the area would have seen a Lombard
of the analyzed weapons), the site of Piazza Gari- presence till the middle of the 7th century C.E.
baldi, and that of via del Bargellino. The necrop- with at least 40 tombs (Biondi 2019c). From a
olis of via del Bargellino is the only extra-urban general point of view, when Lombards arrived
one known for Fiesole and was identified by G. in Fiesole, they would not have substantially
Maetzke in 1957 (Aleardi 1990). Here, among changed the necropolar destination of Area Gar-
the collapses of the Hellenistic burial chambers ibaldi, reconfirming, on the contrary, a trend in
of the 3rd-1st century B.C.E., were brought to land use already started between the end of the
light two tombs with bone remains of adult indi- 4th and the 6th century C.E. (Biondi 2019c).
park of Villa Marchi-Mussi, a single isolated missing. The tombs of Piazza Garibaldi, found
hereditatitomb with two silver pins and a pottery (now between 1878 and 1882, would be framed in a 7th
missing) was found during the 20th century century C.E. period of deposition inside still vis-
(Pasqui 1907). ible but partially defunctionalized buildings of
the 1st-2nd century C.E. that were probably used
The western portion of the city would have as a sepulchral area already from the 4th-5th cen-
been the seat of an arce, a strong point of the city tury C.E. (Aleardi 1990). According to the anal-
defenses, placed to guard the road network be- ysis of the grave goods (ceramics, belt elements
tween Florence and the Mugello and datable and glass objects) of these burials made up by
to the Etruscan-Hellenistic age (4th-3rd centu- O. von Hessen (von Hessen 1971b), R. Francov-
ry B.C.E.). The basilica of S. Alessandro (men- ich (Francovich 1984), and C. Giostra (Giostra
tioned since 966 C.E. with the name of San Pie- 2000), the tombs could be datable to the second
tro in Gerusalemme) is located in the south/east half of the 7th century C.E.
of the arce and it is dedicated to one of the oldest
bishop-saints of the diocese of Fiesole. In 1814, Finally, the Area Garibaldi (Fig. 2) was ex-
10 tombs dug directly in the rock were brought cavated between 1986 and 2015 and would have
to light under its churchyard (Aleardi 1990). seen the foundation of at least two domus in the
One of these was covered by a stone slab with a upper imperial era (1st-2nd century C.E.) direct-
carved cross comparable with a case of Arsago ly on outcrops of natural rock (Cianferoni, Mi-
Seprio in Lombardy (De Marchi 2015), while a nucci and Pianigiani 2009). From the 4th-5th
gold cross with decorations (today missing) was century C.E. these domus were subdivided into
recovered within a second tomb (Aleardi 1990). small rooms for craft and production use with
These elements and the fact that the tombs were shops open around the courtyard of the previous
arranged in relation to the church would lead southern domus, a caupona and at least a macel-
to date them between the late 7th and 8th cen- lum (De Marinis 1990; Cianferoni, De Tomma-
turies C.E., a moment in which the practice of so and Megale 2015). The 6th century C.E. (espe-
burying with funeral equipment was gradually cially its second half) would have represented a
lesser-used and the social distinction would no more sensitive moment of urban change as mas-
longer be entrusted to the materiality of the ob- sive layers of collapse of Roman structures were
jects, but to the relationship of burials with ec- formed throughout the area and, above all, a
clesiastical buildings, as a consequence of the clear promiscuity between structures and tombs
catholicization of Lombard society (Rotili 2001; was established (Biondi 2019b).
Giostra 2014).
In detail traces of housing structures (in
The eastern part of the city was character- perishable materials) and some burials have been
ized by a predominant necropolar function be- documented (Aleardi 1990). Finally, the first
tween the end of the 6th and the middle of the Lombard tombs were excavated in these collaps-
7th century C.E. In this context is located the es from the last decade of the 6th century C.E.
site of Area Garibaldi (where were found some and, overall, the area would have seen a Lombard
of the analyzed weapons), the site of Piazza Gari- presence till the middle of the 7th century C.E.
baldi, and that of via del Bargellino. The necrop- with at least 40 tombs (Biondi 2019c). From a
olis of via del Bargellino is the only extra-urban general point of view, when Lombards arrived
one known for Fiesole and was identified by G. in Fiesole, they would not have substantially
Maetzke in 1957 (Aleardi 1990). Here, among changed the necropolar destination of Area Gar-
the collapses of the Hellenistic burial chambers ibaldi, reconfirming, on the contrary, a trend in
of the 3rd-1st century B.C.E., were brought to land use already started between the end of the
light two tombs with bone remains of adult indi- 4th and the 6th century C.E. (Biondi 2019c).
