Reusing and kinds of reusing of a Roman commercial space in Late Antique Latin West: the Macellum case study

Abstract

The aim of this research is to show the Roman macellum’s adaptability to the needs of the evolving society and to make a contribution to the reflection on its reuse in Late Antique Latin West: in fact, this kind of building is a proof of the major changes in the cities. The macellum, deprived of any previous value after its end-use, is chosen only for its technical and topographic peculiarities and for its various equipment essential to the city activities’ development. Furthermore, its reuse totally depended on the city needs and the local contexts determined its best solutions to guarantee an employment always efficient to these necessities.

Keywords: Macellum, Late Antique