Database and Geographic Information System (GIS) for the Via Francigena: a New Way to Read Sigeric’s itinerary

Abstract

In order to define the path of a medieval road, it is essential to use different kind of sources, like the written texts, the archaeological and material remains referred to the road, the study of the geomorphological context, the toponymy. Modern technologies can help us to examine and use all these sources: first of all, the creation of a database could permit to manage all the data we have about a road; secondly, the database could be loaded in a GIS software, in order to answer to some historical, archaeological and topographical questions. This methodology can be applied to the “Via Francigena” case: starting from Sigeric’s itinerary, which is the main source about the road, it is possible to create a database containing all the data about the submansiones mentioned by the text. Furthermore, loading the database in a GIS software gives the possibility to study the road in its entire length, helping us to understand the relationships between the Via Francigena, the other itineraries and the ancient roads. But at the same time, this enables us to study the route in a specific region, and it could also be the opportunity to comprehend the evolution of the historical landscapes, focusing both on the track of the road and on the territory that the road has conditioned, according to the concept of “street areas”.