Author: D. Falco

Download article as .pdf: Immagini liminari: spazio portuale e identità urbana nei porti del Mediterraneo orientale di età imperiale

The paper examines the transformation of urban port landscapes in the Eastern Mediterranean during the first two centuries of the Roman Empire, highlighting both the continuity and evolution of urban and architectural models rooted in the Hellenistic tradition. Through a critical synthesis of documented contexts, it identifies the emergence of a shared monumental language based on the functional, visual, and symbolic integration of port and city. Recurrent architectural elements reveal a compositional strategy aimed at monumentalizing the urban approach from the sea, thus establishing the port as a representative interface of the civic community. Particular attention is devoted to the ideological and communicative dimensions of these transformations, as reflected in epigraphic, numismatic, and literary evidence that underscores the symbolic centrality of the port façade in shaping urban identity. Within the broader field of research on the image of the ancient city, this contribution offers an interpretation of the port as an eminently urban space, where nature and human technical mastery converge to construct civic identity and a widely recognized sense of civic affiliation.