FIRB 2010: Il paesaggio di una grande strada romana
Topographic framing
The topographical analysis of the Fondi territory crossed by the Appia Way led to the definition of a new historical framework in which the construction of the route was inserted.
The study, extended to the entire Fondi Plain (and published several times by S. Quilici Gigli in the journals Orizzonti and Thematic Atlas of Ancient Topography, as well as in monographic volumes and book chapters, over the years 2012-2017), along with what was previously published on the same topic, reconstructs the dynamics of settlement and organization of the territory. This is briefly outlined here in reference to some significant operas.
The ancient and modern documentary sources, the historical and modern cartographic documentation compared with the photo-interpretation of aerial photographs (read again on the basis of the data acquired during filed surveys), allowed to reconstruct the natural landscape of the Fondi Plain and that determined by important drainage operas, which must be assigned to the Roman period (fig 1).
When the road was built the plain between Terracina and Fondi was uneasy to travel nor did it present favourable conditions for the settlement due to flooding and stagnation of the water that, falling from the mountains, became bogged down. The freshwater lake, much more extensive in the antiquity of the current reservoir, was confused with the swamp. This last reached and exceeded the whole arch now marked by the Appia Way and the city of Fondi itself.
It is no coincidence that the most ancient road network had to run further inside the plain, with a longer and less easy route, which through the mountains reached the sea of Formia.
The realization of the Appia route track with its straight lines and a more direct path, came to guarantee a faster passage to the Roman troops, since then more and more engaged on the southern battle front. The Appia Way, from its construction in 312 BC, has deeply marked the territory that crosses, both in the configuration of the landscape and as a persistent and primary transit road: over the Ausoni Mts., on the slope of Terracina, the route furrowed in the middle of the Fondi plain with magnificent straights , to cross the Aurunci Mountains and reach Formia.
Its opening and subsequent efficiency are closely linked to the effort that had to be done to harness the waters, so as to make the area between Fondi and the sea practicable. A critical review of notes, news and old excavation images allowed to assign much of the findings to hydraulic regimentation works of the area. In their turn, these were functional to the realization of the Appia Way and connected to land drainage works, regularization operas and agricultural divisions. This is evidenced by: i) the regimentation of the waters and the water-channels of St. Chiara and St. Anastasia, which also allowed their navigability, attested by small landings recognized at their extremes, near Fondi and near the sea; ii) the ancient structures noted in the last centuries along them and along the Canneto canal, that allow to recognize the traffic that took place there. The land drainage are documented by the discoveries, on vast spaces, of systems of amphorae arranged in parallel rows in the subsoil to drain the land, which allow a framing since the II century BC. (fig 2). Such operations, overall, were also worth recovering those marshy lands to crops, with the development, right since the second century BC, of many villas.
In the topographical and historical context as outlined above, one of the most evocative tract of whole ancient road is grafted: what that the road describes through the gorges of Itri, between Fondi and Formia, between the rugged rocks of the Aurunci Mountains (fig.3) .
In this area the road is preserved for kilometres and shows mighty terracing works, paved tracts, milestones, bridges, rock cuts, mausoleums, fountains, service stations, villas and sanctuaries.
The bibliography from the historical and topographical point of view (L. Quilici) was very conspicuous. From this precious knowledge we started in the project developing multidisciplinary insights the geomorphological and geognostic scenarios.
References
L. QUILICI, S. QUILICI GIGLI, «Organizzazione del territorio a Fondi, tra bonifiche e romanizzazione», in Atlante Tematico di Topografia Antica 22, 2012, pp. 155-310.
L. QUILICI, S. QUILICI GIGLI, «Fondi: la romanizzazione della città e del territorio», in Orizzonti XIV, 2013, pp. 51-60.
L. QUILICI, S. QUILICI GIGLI, «Il complesso alle falde di Monte San Puoto presso Fondi e i cippi di delimitazione P.F.», in Orizzonti XVIII, 2017, pp. 65-75.
S. QUILICI GIGLI, «Avvicinandosi alle città, lungo la via Appia: paesaggi e significati», in INTRA ET EXTRA MOENIA. Sguardi sulla città fra antico e moderno (R. CIOFFI, G. PIGNATELLI a cura di), Napoli 2014, pp. 141-148.
L. QUILICI, S. QUILICI GIGLI, Per la Via Appia tra i Monti Ausoni e Aurunci, Foggia 2017.