Le forme del popolamento rurale nelle pianure di area esarcale dopo la fine dell’età romana

This paper reassesses the forms and dynamics of rural settlement in the territories of the former Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna after the end of the Roman period, in particular between the fifth and thirteenth centuries CE. By critically re-evaluating data from systematic field surveys conducted since the 1980s and integrating more recent research, the study aims to test the long-debated existence and significance of a “Byzantine variable” in shaping post-Roman rural landscapes. The analysis highlights strong regional variability linked to geomorphological conditions, distinguishing between relatively stable coastal and upper-plain areas and the more dynamic, flood-prone low plains. Contrary to traditional historiographical models that emphasized the persistence of dispersed settlement in Byzantine-controlled areas, the evidence points to a more complex and dynamic picture. From Late Antiquity onward, many regions show continuity or even growth in rural occupation, followed by widespread processes of settlement reorganization after the seventh century. From the eighth–ninth centuries, nucleated and centralized settlements become increasingly common across the Exarchate, often associated with ecclesiastical sites or large estates, while dispersed habitation persists alongside them. These patterns align the Exarchate with broader European trends in early medieval rural transformation and village formation, challenging rigid contrasts between Byzantine and Lombard territories and underscoring the need for integrated landscape-based approaches.