Justinian, Vitiges and the peace treaty of 540 (Proc. Bell. Goth. 2.29.2)

The proposed peace treaty of 540 between Justinian and Vitiges ‒ according to most interpretations of Proc. Bell. Goth. 2.29.2 ‒ included a partition of Italy into two areas, one located south of the river Po and controlled by Justinian and the other located north of the Po and controlled by the Goths. However, a closer examination of Procopius’ wording and of similar passages indicates that Justinian aimed to receive only the tax revenues of southern and central Italy, with the provinces themselves remaining in the hands of the Goths.

Experimental and Numerical Investigations of a River Embankment Model under Transient Seepage Conditions

The evaluation of riverbank stability often represents an underrated problem in engineering practice, but is also a topical geotechnical research issue. In fact, it is certainly true that soil water content and pore water pressure distributions in the riverbank materials vary with time, due to the changeable effects of hydrometric and climatic boundary conditions, strongly influencing the bank stability conditions. Nonetheless, the assessment of hydraulic and mechanical behavior of embankments are currently performed under the simplified hypothesis of steady-state seepage, generally neglecting the unsaturated soil related issues. In this paper, a comprehensive procedure for properly defining the key aspects of the problem is presented and, in particular, the soil characterization in partially saturated conditions of a suitably compacted mixture of sand and finer material, typical of flood embankments of the main river Po tributaries (Italy), is reported. The laboratory results have then been considered for modelling the embankment performance under transient seepage and following a set of possible hydrometric peaks. The outcome of the present contribution may provide meaningful geotechnical insights, for practitioners and researchers, in the flood risk assessment of river embankments.

Field measurements on a large natural sand boil along the river Po (Italy)

Sand boils are the surface manifestation of an erosion process, known as backward erosion piping, which may take place beneath river embankments during high-water events. The risk of embankment failure greatly increases in locations affected by sand boils. Numerous studies have been carried out, mainly at the laboratory scale, providing significant advancements in this field. Nonetheless, there is still a gap between research and practice that needs to be filled.This study presents a set of field measurements carried out on a large sand boil reactivated near the toe of an embankment along the river Po (Italy). Hydraulic heads, velocity and discharge, concentration and pipe geometry were measured as a function of the water level in the river during the November 2018 flood. The collected data are compared to predictions of a theoretical model which provides the head loss in the vertical pipe. Furthermore, the local exit gradients, as deduced from measurements, are discussed, together with the operational critical gradients adopted in current design practice.The collected data provide important input parameters for the calibration of analytical and numerical models, typically implemented to investigate the sand boil evolution and then to assess the backward erosion piping risk at real scale.

Cyperus-dominated vegetation in the eastern Po river

The ephemeral vegetation dominated by Cyperus sp. pl. was surveyed and analyzed along the eastern trait of the Po River (Po Plain, Italy). Two formerly described communities were recognized: Cyperetum esculenti and Amaranthus tuberculatus-phytocoenon. A third greater cluster is assigned to a new association: Cyperetum micheliano-glomerati. It is characterized by Cyperus glomeratus, C. michelianus, C. odoratus and C. squarrosus, that have been detected on over 75 % of the relevés. The main floristic and ecological traits of these detected vegetation types are discussed.

New advanced designed systems to ensure safeguard of the territory and preservation of water resources for irrigation

The Burana Land-Reclamation Board is an interregional water board operating in three regions and five provinces. The Burana Land-Reclamation Board operates over a land area of about 250,000 hectares between the Rivers Secchia, Panaro and Samoggia, which forms the drainage basin of the River Panaroand part of the Burana-Po di Volano, from the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines to the River Po. Its main tasks are the conservation and safeguarding of the territory, with particular attention to water resources and how they are used, ensuring rainwater drainage from urban centres, avoiding flooding but ensuringwater supply for crop irrigation in the summer to combat drought. Since the last century the Burana Land-Reclamation Board has been using innovative techniques in the planning of water management schemes designed to achieve the above aims, improving the management of water resources while keeping a constant eye on protection of the environment.

Late Roman Forest in the Delta of the River Po (Italy): Remote Sensing and 3D Maps Computation for Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction

Literary and historical sources provide information about Late Roman forests in the Delta of the River Po, in the district of Ferrara (Italy), between Vicus Aventiae (Voghenza), Sandalo, Gambulaga, Caput Gauri (Codigoro) and Castrum Cumiacli (Comacchio). Toponymy, archaeological excavations and geoarchaeological studies support the palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of this land. In this work, after a brief examination of the ancient texts, we are going to introduce some new data concerning archaeobotanical evidence, detected by remote sensing in combination with direct surveys (on land and underwater). On the technical side, we are going to present a geomatic application for underwater measurements of ancient trunks related to discoveries in the palaeo-watercourses of the River Po (geomatic measurements, thanks to remote sensing surveys, allows us to have detailed length and diameters of trunks and trees, which are not always visible and detectable while diving) together with some satellite elevation measurement of the river banks and 3D map supported by geocomputation. Thanks to botanical data, we are able to illustrate the local context of the paleoenvironmental/archaeological sites, offering a reconstruction of the landscape and of the use of the wood.

The Didactics of Archaeological Landscape

The object of the Staffora Valley Project is to reconstruct the landscape of the area beyond the river Po in the province of Pavia, during Roman days. While promoting a debate about the Romanization of this territory, the project facilitated the popularization of an archeology of the landscape, meant to foster civics and public spirit. Through a series of archaeology workshops, students of the Lower Staffora Valley discovered the history of their territory, learning to preserve, respect, and appreciate its traditional farming vocation. This experience resonated with families, associations, and public institutions, gradually fostering an awareness for their surroundings, an indispensable basis for responsible land use. Thus, archaeology becomes a privileged path to educate a community to think in terms of history: a guarantee of mindful living, preventing speculation and any other pursuit that may destroy local traditions and alter the balance between economic needs and the quality of life.