The earthquake which occurred on January 25th, 1348, is regarded as the most severe seismic event to have taken place in the Eastern Alps in the last two millennia. The quake caused the almost total destruction of several settlements in Carinthia (Austria), Carnia (Italy), and Carniola (Slovenia), but substantial collapse was also recorded in locations hundreds of kilometres away from the epicentral area, such as Aquileia, Venice, Trento, and Bolzano. Although this event is one of the best-documented medieval earthquakes on a European scale, crucial aspects for its understanding remain unresolved, such as the location of the epicenter, the identification of the causative fault, and the damage distribution in critical areas. This paper focuses on northern Friuli, where the impact of the 1348 earthquake still appears poorly understood and, in general, insufficiently studied. Through a re-examination of previous studies and the discussion of new data, the article explores previously undocumented archaeological evidence that sheds new light on both the damage caused by the event and the reconstruction carried out in the post-disaster phase. These data are then compared with damage levels estimated by seismic simulation software and used to envision future research on a medieval disaster that appears crucial for assessing the seismic risk in one of the most densely populated areas in Europe.
Il terremoto del 25 gennaio 1348 è considerato l’evento sismico più energetico occorso nelle Alpi orientali negli ultimi duemila anni. Il sisma causò la distruzione quasi totale di numerosi insediamenti in Carinzia (Austria), Carnia (Italia) e Carniola (Slovenia) e crolli sostanziali vennero registrati anche in centri distanti centinaia di chilometri dall’area epicentrale, quali ad esempio Aquileia, Venezia, Trento e Bolzano. Nonostante questo evento costituisca, a livello europeo, uno dei terremoti medievali meglio documentati, rimangono ancora irrisolti aspetti cruciali per la sua comprensione come la localizzazione dell’epicentro, l’identificazione della faglia generatrice e la distribuzione del danno in alcune aree-chiave. Il contributo si concentra sulla Carnia e sul Friuli settentrionale, una regione dove l’impatto del terremoto del 1348 appare ancora poco chiaro, e in linea generale, insufficientemente approfondito dagli studi. Attraverso una rilettura di lavori precedenti e la discussione di nuovi dati, l’articolo presenta evidenze archeologiche inedite che appaiono compatibili sia con i danni causati dall’evento, sia con ricostruzioni effettuate nella fase di post-disastro. Questi dati sono quindi comparati con i livelli di danno stimati da un software di simulazione sismica e utilizzati per immaginare future linee di ricerca su un disastro medievale che appare cruciale per valutare il rischio sismico di un’area tra le più densamente popolate d’Europa.
Paolo Forlin (2023). Introducing the archaeological assessment of a medieval disaster: Friuli and the 1348 Eastern Alps earthquake. ARCHEOLOGIA MEDIEVALE, 50, 185-204.
Introducing the archaeological assessment of a medieval disaster: Friuli and the 1348 Eastern Alps earthquake
Paolo Forlin
2023
Abstract
The earthquake which occurred on January 25th, 1348, is regarded as the most severe seismic event to have taken place in the Eastern Alps in the last two millennia. The quake caused the almost total destruction of several settlements in Carinthia (Austria), Carnia (Italy), and Carniola (Slovenia), but substantial collapse was also recorded in locations hundreds of kilometres away from the epicentral area, such as Aquileia, Venice, Trento, and Bolzano. Although this event is one of the best-documented medieval earthquakes on a European scale, crucial aspects for its understanding remain unresolved, such as the location of the epicenter, the identification of the causative fault, and the damage distribution in critical areas. This paper focuses on northern Friuli, where the impact of the 1348 earthquake still appears poorly understood and, in general, insufficiently studied. Through a re-examination of previous studies and the discussion of new data, the article explores previously undocumented archaeological evidence that sheds new light on both the damage caused by the event and the reconstruction carried out in the post-disaster phase. These data are then compared with damage levels estimated by seismic simulation software and used to envision future research on a medieval disaster that appears crucial for assessing the seismic risk in one of the most densely populated areas in Europe.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
