Archeologia di una curtis ducale nell’Italia meridionale longobarda. Il caso di Faragola

The study of public assets in the Early Middle Ages has recently regained momentum, especially for the Lombard kingdom. Although documentary sources for the duchies of Spoleto and Benevento outline administrative and legal frameworks, the material dimension of these assets in southern Italy has remained obscure. A shortage of archaeological data on rural settlements and the difficulty of distinguishing fiscal, ecclesiastical, and private properties have long constrained interpretations of post-Roman continuity. Recent systematic research in Apulia challenges narratives of catastrophic decline. The site of Faragola (Ascoli Satriano), identified by correlating topographic clues in royal diplomas and archaeological evidence, can best be interpreted as a ducal curtis in the gaio Fecline. This association provides rare material insight into a curtis tied to the Beneventan fiscal system between the 7th and 9th centuries. The settlement developed within the fabric of a monumental Late Antique villa and shows a transformation marked by functional reuse and deliberate dismantling of Roman structures rather than abrupt collapse. Analysis of architectural remains, artefact assemblages, and production cycles permits reconstruction of a nuanced model of public land management and clarifies the complex relations between the duke and his local agents.