A case study of medieval urban process: Rome's Trastevere (1250-1450)

This dissertation focuses on the Roman district of Trastevere in the late Middle Ages (1250-1450). The structure of the dissertation is determined by the multiple themes of urban process--topographic, socio-economic, political, religious and architectural. Topographic and socio-economic conditions established in antiquity laid the foundation for Trastevere's medieval development. These include the administrative distinction of Trastevere resulting from its geographic location across the Tiber from the rest of Rome, its early connections with Rome's maritime trade, and the ancient region's street pattern. Trastevere's early medieval transformation was determined by the pathways of old and new streets, and the location of newly important sites and monuments. Continued political ambiguity and conflict result from the region's topographic isolation.;The urban port of Rome, Trastevere's most important economic institution, was located on Trastevere's river bank from the ninth century. This site created an undeniable economic link between Trastevere and Cistiberine Rome, as well as a unique and important Trasteverine neighborhood and market. Another urban center developed around the church of S. Maria in Trastevere, the region's largest basilica. As an urban center, parish church, and landowner, the church of S. Maria was influential in the urban fabric.;Trastevere's medieval residential fabric reveals social determinants. Three classes of houses defined the streets of Trastevere and ranged from the simplest dwelling to impressive palaces, suggesting a mixed social topography. Their organization was structured by family life, while entire neighborhoods responded to the dominance of a noble family compound. Both the public and private realms of the built environment were supervised by municipal building officials. The regulation of Rome's urban fabric, however limited in contrast with some medieval cities, was an important civic concern. The church was also involved in urban regulation in its role as landlord, maintaining the public domain against the threats of private intrusion.;Each of these historical determinants contributed to the urban process and transformed the urban fabric of medieval Trastevere. This analysis of urban process suggests possibilities for fresh interpretations of urban form in Rome and in cities everywhere.