Agostino in Africa: archeologia e gesti rituali

The aim of this paper is to synthesize St. Augustine’s views on specific ritual and liturgical aspects, comparing the texts with the archaeological contexts. Considering the limitations of the available documentation – the imprecision of the texts and the archaeological evidence, which lacks solid dating elements because it was acquired between the 19th and 20th centuries – the focus is, first, on Augustine’s positions regarding pagan rituals (veneration of statues, refrigerium, and feasts), and secondly, on liturgical practices related to preaching and baptism in Hippo and the Episcopal Province of Numidia. The analysis demonstrates the cultural complexity of the context in which St. Augustine carried out his episcopal duties, as well as the stratification of rites and practices, which are only rarely clearly retracable through the archaeological remains.