Sarcofagi particolari tra Oriente e Occidente: le casse in piombo delle necropoli di Aquileia

The Roman city of Aquileia is known for the importance in commerce and related circulation of men and ideas, which is reflected even in burial beliefs and practices. Lead sarcophagi indicate the openness of the Adriatic city both to the Eastern Mediterranean, where the origin of this type of burial is supposed, and to the Western provinces, whose examples show stronger similarities with Aquileia’s sarcophagi. The vast array of influences, in addition to the widespread geographical diffusion, implies many different interpretations of these coffins, according to users and formal aspects: notwithstanding, the attention paid to preservation of the tomb seems to be a common feature, that can be extended to the sarcophagi found in Aquileia.