The San Vincenzo Project, focused upon the Benedictine monastery of San
Vincenzo al Volturno, in central Italy, was launched in 1980. In
addition to developing the archaeological potential of the well-known
ninth-century painted crypt of San Lorenzo and to defining the general
character of the early medieval monastery, a major aim of the project
was through a combination of survey and small-scale excavation within
the territory to define the relationship between the early medieval
monastery and its dependent communities. This volume summarizes the
archaeology of the territory, placing emphasis upon the long settlement
history of which San Vincenzo al Volturno was a part, as well as the
dependent communities of the Benedictine monastery identified during the
fieldwork. The volume includes an overview of the 1980-1 field survey
(including investigations of the castelli in the upper Volturno valley
and the survey and excavations on Monte Mare); the principal results of
the extensive excavations on the east bank of the river, including the
Samnite cemetery and vicus, the Samnite and Roman settlement, the early
medieval industrial complex and borgo, as well as the twelfth-century
monastery; reports on excavations at two hilltop sites, Colle Castellano
and Colle Sant'Angelo. In addition, there are essays on the San Vincenzo
community in Capua; on the upper Volturno valley in Roman times; a
reconsideration of late antique San Vincenzo and an assessment of the
upper Volturno valley in the early Middle Ages.
