Spolia
INFORMATION, STUDIES AND RESEARCH ABOUT THE MIDDLE AGES

Tabula Peutingeriana: Rome

Detail of the Peutinger's Table, an XI-XII century map, representing the personification of the city of Rome (Oesterreichische National Bibliothek, Wien, Handschriftensammlung, Cod. 324)

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Welcome to Spolia!
Presentation of the site
About the Project
What we do
Index of the Sections
Presentation and index of the site's sections
Editors and Collaborators
Start from here !!
INDEX
General index
Check the news !!!
NEWS
Index of the news

ATTENTION!!!
We don't translate everything in English!!
Check the Italian version of the site, if You want more informations about the Middle Ages.

Thank You for Your comprehension.


WELCOME TO SPOLIA!

Welcome to SPOLIA! This site intends to provide constantly updated specialised information on the studies and research on the Middle Ages. SPOLIA was devised by a group of young scholars connected with the University of Rome "La Sapienza". That is why we have chosen as an image for the site a detail of the Tabula Peutingeriana, an XI-XII century map, representing the personification of the city of Rome according to the official iconography of power.

The title SPOLIA hints at the twofold suggestion that the word has in its first meaning and in the almost technical meaning it has acquired in archaeological studies.

Literally, spolia are the spoils taken from enemies during wars. We consider similar to these the artistic, literary and historical material from the medieval past, as booty which has been rescued from the clutches of Time, the enemy of memory. These documents of an era must be presented objectively and with scientific attention within the historical period in which they were produced.

In archaeology, the term spolia is frequently used to indicate "recycled objects". These fragments of ancient monuments are inserted into architectural contexts that are different from the original, and used in the construction of new buildings. This "recycling" operation, which is typical of medieval building techniques, is often accompanied by a re-reading of the SPOLIUM which, in its new context, also takes on a new meaning.

In our opinion, the tradition/innovation dialectic, which is at the origin of the composition of artistic and literary works, is similar. Quotations, allusions and the other forms of intertextuality measure the links with contemporaries and predecessors, reinterpreting the testimonies through their position in a new semantic space.

The operation carried out by criticism is also similar, as it arrives at different readings by placing documents of the past in different contexts within different critical theories.

The term spolia includes therefore the three aspects that we would like to underline in the presentation of the materials: historical documents above all, artistic works devised by the tradition/innovation dialectic, and objects of critical reflection.


ABOUT THE PROJECT

SPOLIA was devised by a group of young scholars who are working at different university research projects.

The site intends to provide updated information on medieval studies, but does not claim to be complete, as this would be very difficult even for a bulletin dealing exclusively with bibliographical information.

On the contrary, the contributions will be characterized by their peculiarity, as reflections in the margins of the individual collaborators' research, and will be strictly specialized. In this way we hope to give prominence to information which is normally less valued. We will present mainly

As well as

to which we would like to add the following services

As it appears from the index, the site is divided into sections and subsections, each with a different director who will treat the spaces as open containers to host the activities of various collaborators, in order to guarantee a wealth of information as well as its continuity.

Every communication, while privileging the infomative aspect, will be accompanied by a brief critical note, to help readers better understand whether the materials presented are interesting to them and to permit an exchange of ideas on the themes proposed.

Moreover, by selecting the documents according their importance and representativeness (although our collaborators' judgement is a matter of opinion), we hope to assist the user, who, while on the Internet, is often submerged by a volume of information which is difficult to digest because it is disorganised and particularly vast.

We do not want to collect data in large amounts but to offer reasons for contact and discussion, useful for the development of the research.

Suggestions, questions and contributions to the realisation of the projects are welcome.

Fabio Massimo Bertolo e Teresa Nocita


EDITORS AND COLLABORATORS

SPOLIA
Information, studies and research about the Middle Ages

General Editor: Teresa Nocita

Assistant Editor: Fabio Massimo Bertolo

Editorial Coordinator : Michela Nocita

Section Editors:


Coordinators: Fabio M. Bertolo and Teresa Nocita

LAST CHANGES 24 JULY 1997

Copyright 13 august 1996 Fabio M. Bertolo and Teresa Nocita

Copyright december 1996 Fabio M. Bertolo and Teresa Nocita

Copyright march 1997 Teresa Nocita

Copyright april 1997 Teresa Nocita

Copyright june 1997 Teresa Nocita

Copyright july 1997 Teresa Nocita