Port and coastal fortifications from Brundisium to Brindisi: new geoarchaeological data and archival research

This paper focuses on the history of port and coastal fortifications along the urban stretch of the city of Brindisi, developed through a multidisciplinary study, the result of a master's thesis in archaeological heritage and subsequent research. The research was conducted through both surveys and field investigations, as well as through a detailed, unpublished analysis of the historical cartography held by the State Archives of Brindisi and Lecce. The digitized and georeferenced cartography allowed for the reconstruction of the evolution of the coastal port sector, the port seabed, and the associated fortifications. Reconstructions of the port's morphology were carried out through the digitization and 3D modeling of historical bathymetry, reflecting the modifications to the defensive structures of this coastal sector to protect the city. The importance of the study site for fortifications is evidenced by the first written accounts of the port of Brundisium in antiquity, dating back to The Histories by Polybius, a 2nd-century Greek historian. The first evidence of the port of Brindisi being used as a military base during the war against Illyrian piracy dates to the 1st century BC. In Roman times, the port of Brindisi was considered a good harbor, the safest in the world, not only because of its natural stag-head shape, but also because it had a small island (Sant ‘Andrea Island, home to the Alfonsino Castle) that provided shelter in stormy weather. Julius Caesar himself, in his De Bello Civili, recounts the strategic importance of this island during the battle with Pompey. The port subsequently underwent several phases of historical fortification due to various periods of rule, from the Normans, the Swabians, the Angevins, and the Aragonese, to the venetians and Charles V.