Bobbio e il territorio piacentino tra VI e VII secolo: Questioni aperte e nuove riflessioni alla luce dei dati archeologici

Recent archaeological research reveals a new picture of settlement in the 6^th and 7^th centuries near the monastery of Bobbio in the Tidone, Trebbia and Nure valleys (Bobbio was founded at the beginning of the 7^th century by St. Columbanus and the Lombard monarchy). The results of this research will mean reconsideration not only of the settlement history of the area, but also of the monastic foundation and the complex causes at its origins. The archaeological evidence points to the period of AgilulPs reign as a turning-point for Lombard penetration into this territory. At that time a partially new settlement layout is increasingly evident, as one can see in sites like Travo-S. Andrea (Trebbia valley), where an extensive 7^th century necropolis and a part of the adjoining village were excavated. Many of these sites belonged to Bobbio in the Early Middle Ages, so this research also suggests new approaches to the relationship between the monastery and its territories, to the history of the monastery, and to the interpretation of the Lombard presence in northern Italy.