Florence: knowledge and accessibility of the archaeological heritage

In Roman age, shortly after its foundation, Florence was a quite important town. After the decline of the Roman Empire, the ancient remains, as almost everywhere, were swallowed up by the evolution and growth of the city. The rediscovery of the vestiges of the past had a significant boost in the late nineteenth century. In fact, with the demolition of the old market, of the ghetto and of several blocks around them, the remains of the ancient Roman settlement, starting from the Capitol, were brought to light. Several other excavations have later unearthed remains scattered everywhere in the old town centre and around it. The knowledge of the archaeology of the city is still today made of individual episodes and lacks of a study, which could melt in a single framework all the acquired knowledge. An initial approach, aiming to merge data in the context of an overall knowledge, correlating studies relating to four main axes of the city, has been recently made. The first results of this study are presented, together with the related urban silhouettes. The main data that emerges is that almost everywhere the remains are located at a limited depth compared to today's urban level. This explains the fact that almost everywhere the findings, once documented and studied, have been reburied and then today they cannot be visible nor visited. The ancient relics placed under the most important Florentine churches are an exception. These churches, during their transformations, were placed on a high stylobate, so it was possible to obtain below them an underground space where the archaeological sites are visible.