Riuso dell’antico a Roma e nei suoi territori circostanti. Alcuni casi nei possedimenti sotto l’influenza degli Orsini.

Among the Roman families, the Orsini held a strong influence on Rome and the surrounding territories in the fourteenth Century. This powerful position was underlined by the occupation – and sometimes exploitation - of ruins and ancient structures on their possessions. Different family branches of the Orsini held both some important districts in the city centre – near the harbours on the Tiber and in some evoking sites, such as in Monte Giordano and the regione Arenula – and settlements in the Campagna Romana. Between the XIII and the XIV centuries, the strong connection between the nobles’ clusters and ruins is remarkable, showing the cultural and functional programmes in occupying the urban hubs. The paper analyses some documents mentioning the reuse and the trade of ancient materials in the areas under the Orsini family control, thus showing some specific attitudes towards the selection, salvage and reuse of antiquities – both inside and outside the city of Rome, running a business possibly supervised or authorized by the family.