The reuse of spolia in Ancient Sicily

• Grant number: 15/23696-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: August 01, 2016
• End date: July 01, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Archeology - Historical Archaeology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Beatriz Borba Florenzano
• Grantee: Leonardo Fuduli
• Host Institution: Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia (MAE). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/12182-0 - The reuse of spolia in Athens: analysis of the practice during the Byzantine period, BE.EP.PD 16/25483-2 - The reuse of Spolia in Sicily, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

The reuse of ancient building material or decorative architectural elements (Spolia), in buildings of later periods, widespread in the Mediterranean region, occurs also in Sicily. Currently, such practice has not been sufficiently studied in all its aspects but only in a selective way for few monuments of Norman age. This research project aims at studying the overall reuse of spolia in Sicily, to create a catalogue/database focused on : a) the origin of marbles, to highlight the trade in the Mediterranean sea in which Sicily is the centre; b) the types of reuse, with economic or ideological functions; c) the study of the context, frequently monumental buildings of Norman age; d) the dating, Late Antiquity, Middle Age, Modern Age. Therefore, this research appears very promising from a scientific point of view, several aspects of a very relevant practice, which represents an important connection between the Antiquity and later periods.