Intorno al reimpiego nel mondo antico e medievale. Intersezioni tra archeologia e diritto

Reuse in the Ancient and Medieval World: Intersections between Archaeology and Law – This paper examines the reuse of Roman stone artefacts from antiquity to the Middle Ages through an interdisciplinary approach combining archaeology and history of law. It first reviews the evolution of studies on spolia, with the Arch of Constantine as a key reference, before focusing on North-Western Italy, particularly the Vercelli area. Archaeological evidence shows the extensive reuse of marble and brick materials in churches, funerary contexts, civil buildings and fortifications. Columns, capitals, sarcophagi, inscriptions and sculptures were often reworked and assigned to new functions. Although archaeology cannot always clarify the chronology of these practices, legal documents reveal increasing public regulation between the 3rd and 4th centuries AD to protect monuments and tombs. The spread of Christianity also reshaped the symbolic meaning of reused materials. For the medieval period, the paper explores changing systems of control over ancient artefacts, showing how political and ecclesiastical authorities managed their recovery through donations, authorizations, purchases and excavations. Reuse thus emerges not simply as recycling but as a cultural process shaped by economic needs, legal frameworks, political power and the memory of antiquity.