Insulae in Northern Italy and the Case Study of Aquileia

With regard to Northern Italy, the topic of insulae, both in the meaning of urban quarters and multi-storey ensembles, is undoubtedly challenging. In fact, to date only small parts of the Roman cities of this region have been unearthed, and the state of conservation of Roman structures is generally poor. Despite these issues, by analyzing data provided by past and recent research and excavations, this paper aims to offer an overview of this topic. In the first part, an updated framework of Roman private housing in Northern Italy will be presented, looking for clues which suggests the existence of the typology of insulae (in the meaning of multi-storey ensembles) or for evidence which demonstrates their absence. Subsequently, the topic of insulae, in the meaning of urban quarters, will be analyzed, comparing data concerning different cities of Northern Italy. A specific focus will be on the city of Aquileia, where recent excavations provided new and interesting data about the layout, functionality, and evolution of the urban quarters over time.