The Control of Public Space and the Transformation of an Early Medieval town: a Re-examination of the Case of Brescia

Abstract

In the town of Brescia, Roman buildings and the urban infrastructure remained relatively intact until the 6th c. However, during the 6th and 7th c., the town underwent a series of transformations. Focusing on the eastern part of the city, this paper examines the transformations that occurred within monumental public buildings and domestic buildings, the appearance of artisanal activities in the urban area, and of burials in zones of residential occupation. It is argued that these developments did not result from changes in attitudes and values among the population but rather were controlled and instigated by a central authority based in the episcopal and later ducal complex on the western side of the city.