Formation and Growth of the Settlement System of the Castelli Romani and Prenestini in the Middle Ages.

A view through history, archaeology and art history.

Volume curated by Cristiano Mengarelli

Cristiano Mengarelli’s study is fully in line with the cultural programming of the Museum Grand Tour and the Municipality of Frascati. Alongside the systematic studies conducted by the Spanish School of History and Archaeology in Tusculum, it represents an essential step towards a better understanding of the dynamics that affected the anthropisation of the territories of the Colli Albani and Prenestini. The dense yet flowing narrative almost succeeds in creating a sort of time lapse before the eyes of the reader. Such a concise and clear overview of a territory as vast as that of the Colli Albani and Prenestini had never before been dealt with, and if it had, it was only for smaller and more defined areas. Of course, the issue is vast, but in my opinion, one rarely observes a such a clear-cut, synthetic rendition as Mengarelli’s, from the complexity of the topic to the straightforward explanation. It is therefore to be hoped that studies of this kind will continue with the crucial support of the institutions and the System’s open collaboration with external contributors capable of providing high-quality work that reconstructs the complex fabric of the territory of reference.

Dr Giovanna Cappelli

Director Tuscolano Museum – Scuderie Aldobrandini