Églises et villes multipolaires en Italie du Nord durant l’Antiquité tardive / Churches and multipolar cities in Northern Italy during Late Antiquity

The spread of Christianity, especially from the 5th century onwards, is a subject that must be examined in relation to the fortification of cities and territories during Late Antiquity and the subsequent settlement of “barbarian” populations. In this historical context, some written sources provide information on how the Christian religion was adopted by the Goths and Lombards in Northern Italy, in particular the doctrine of Arianism. Two aspects have been highlighted by recent archaeological research: the construction of churches in connection with the reorganisation of the defensive system in Northern Italy, designed to counter the Franks, and the role of Arianism in these new foundations. The cases of Padua, Verona, Mantua and Trento show the interconnection between these two elements. The establishment of an Arian place of worship could indeed reflect a particular focus on the military and bureaucratic component of the Goths at the pinnacle of power. The examples of Castelseprio and Monselice, rural fortifications that became district capitals and civitates at the end of the 6th century, confirm this multipolar urbanism in which places of worship played a central role.