The suburbia of Late Antiquity between spatiality and function. A discussion in the light of a few case studies from northern Italy

A review of a few case studies concerning Roman towns in Italy offers sufficient data to attempt an analysis of the archaeological and socio-economic patterns of their suburbium, starting from the 3rd century CE, aimed at distinguishing common trends. A comparison with the well-studied regional context of Gallia provides the opportunity to sketch trends (rather than designing ‘models’), seeking the integration of different datasets and approaches. The analysis is framed by an overview of the theoretical and methodological issues of archaeo-historical research on the suburbia of the Roman towns in the Western Empire and also integrates methodologies of contemporary urban planning.