Cappelle curtensi e chiese pievane: considerazioni sul rapporto tra tipologie archeologico-architettoniche e funzioni

[Autom. eng. transl.] In the Middle Ages the church is a catalyst: expression of complex relationships ranging from the liturgical-spiritual meanings of which it was a bearer, to the practical needs of its users; from its relationship with the settlement within which it is inserted, to the needs of manifestation of intent and self-celebration of the founders and of the communities that were part of it; the church is also an owner of assets and an income earner: an essential component of the economic system of the time. Scholars of written and archaeological sources investigate the phenomenon from different points of view, not only for the specific methodologies of approach, but also because the very nature of the testimonies they use is different. The contribution, starting from some examples, evaluates how the material data produced by archaeological excavations are not always able to clarify the function and institutional role of the cult building.