L'ambitus nella storia urbanistica di Roma antica

The goal of this paper is to analyze the role and significance of the ambitus, a narrow open space between properties, in the framework of the urban history of Rome from the Archaic period to Late Antiquity. The author tackles several issues relating to this architectural feature – including its origin, function, size and the alleged gradual disappearance during the mid-Republican period –, taking into account not only the rich written documentation (literary, juridical and epigraphic), but also the archaeological evidence brought to the light by recent excavations.