Thesis title: Ri-Conoscere il passato. Studio archeologico e architettonico dei succorpi delle cattedrali di Barletta, Ruvo di Puglia, Trani e analisi della trasformazione dei rispettivi paesaggi urbani tra tarda antichità e medioevo
The research project “Ri-Conoscere il passato” (“Re-Cognizing the Past”) investigates the archaeological evidence preserved beneath the Romanesque cathedrals of Barletta, Ruvo di Puglia, and Trani, with the aim of reconstructing the historical, urban, and architectural development of these complexes between Late Antiquity and the end of the twelfth century. The study, conducted through a critical review of previous scholarship, archival sources, and direct analysis of the surviving structures, adopts an interdisciplinary approach that integrates archaeological, architectural, and topographical data, relating the monuments to their broader urban and rural contexts.
The comparative analysis of the three case studies—selected for their complex and roughly coeval stratification—has made it possible to identify both shared settlement dynamics and local specificities, offering new insights into the formation of medieval towns in central Apulia. Within this framework, the results obtained at Bitonto have also been considered, providing a more precise definition of the early medieval church plan and its main building phases.
The investigations revealed, in Trani, the existence of an early Christian building followed by a basilica decorated with mosaics and later modifications connected to the cult of Saint Leucius; in Ruvo, the transformation of a Severan domus into a Christian worship building, reconstructed in the ninth century and later developed into the Norman complex; and in Barletta, the presence of a large basilica dating to the episcopate of Sabinus, subsequently remodeled during the Byzantine period and replaced by the Romanesque structure.
Overall, the research provides a unified and updated interpretation of the settlement and religious dynamics of central Apulia, promoting the appreciation and understanding of the region’s archaeological and architectural heritage.