Importuosa litora. Attività e dinamiche trasformative del sistema marittimo pugliese in età tardoantica: le città portuali

Abstract

In Late Antiquity, Mediterranean trade networks remained vital despite the widespread decline in port
infrastructure management. Within these transformative dynamics, Apulia maintained continuity and resilience in maritime
commerce, with its ports fully integrated into a privileged exchange network linking the West and the East. The
region’s inherited infrastructure sustained regional trade within Adriatic and Mediterranean circuits, while its natural
orientation toward the Levant fostered the growth of smaller centers that would later play a key role in Apulia’s medieval
maritime economy.
This study examines the activity of Apulia’s ports in Late Antiquity, highlighting how the port infrastructure, inherited
from the late Republican and early Imperial periods, remained largely functional until at least the 6th century. Meanwhile,
a network of smaller harbors and landing sites expanded alongside the growth of commercial activities along the
Adriatic coast and toward the eastern Mediterranean.

Keywords: Late Antiquity, harbours, Apulia, Adriatic, infrastructure.