In the heart of Pavia, west of the city and along the route to Piedmont and the Alps, lies a historic site that is rewriting the history of the Lombards in Italy. During the 7th century AD, King Aripert I decided to build a dynastic mausoleum at this location, marking a turning point in the funerary practices of his time.
This monument, intended to house the remains of the monarch himself and his descendants, not only reflected the political and religious power of the Lombards but also broke away from typical Germanic funerary traditions by introducing elements of Christian ritual.
The mausoleum, which later became an imperial monastery under the patronage of Empress Adelaide, wife of Otto I, and subsequently the Basilica of the Most Holy Savior, has been the focus of intense archaeological studies. Since 2017, a team of experts from the Catholic University, led by Professor Caterina Giostra, has been conducting investigations to unravel the secrets of this necropolis. This project is supported by the Swiss foundation Plus Patrum Lumen Sustine, enabling meticulous research and the use of advanced technologies.
In the Small Cloister, adjacent to the present-day church, archaeologists have found more than twenty burial sites from the Early Middle Ages in remarkable condition. These tombs, many constructed with masonry boxes and gabled roofs, include unique examples, such as a grave adorned with a painted red cross, which stands out as one of the oldest.
According to Professor Giostra, these burials were likely reserved for individuals of high social status, underscoring the symbolic and hierarchical importance of the site.
Interestingly, many of these tombs were reused over time, indicating that funerary practices included the exhumation and rearrangement of skeletal remains. This process may have served to accommodate new burials or to retrieve symbolic objects that were part of the traditions of the era.
Above these elite burials, researchers uncovered more modest tombs likely belonging to monks from the late-medieval monastery that later occupied the site. These discoveries are complemented by the identification of an underground passage connecting the monastery’s cellars to a central well, designed to ensure an efficient water supply.
The excavation team, composed of students and professionals in archaeology, has employed advanced tools such as drones, three-dimensional photogrammetry, and forensic analysis to document and preserve the findings. Samples collected will be analyzed in collaboration with the Laboratory of Anthropology and Forensic Odontology (LABANOF) at the University of Milan, led by Professor Cristina Cattaneo.
These investigations include chemical, anthropological, and archaeogenetic analyses to delve into aspects such as diet, geographic origins, and possible familial links of the buried individuals.
Additionally, collaboration with German institutions will allow researchers to explore the ancient DNA of the remains, potentially revealing whether the individuals were exclusively local or had connections to populations from Northern Europe, as documented in other Lombard necropolises in Italy.
These studies promise to shed light on the biological, social, and cultural makeup of Lombard Pavia, offering unprecedented insights into its daily life and social organization.
The archaeological work carried out in the mausoleum of Aripert I is not only rescuing a fundamental part of Italian history but also setting new standards for studying and understanding the past. This interdisciplinary effort is transforming knowledge about Early Medieval Pavia, solidifying its status as an epicenter of power, faith, and tradition during the Lombard era.
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