Genesi e sviluppo dei complessi episcopali in Italia settentrionale: alcuni esempi

bishop and the seat of his diocese, which comprised cult-buildings and a multiplicity of residential and administrative structures) in the cities of Northern Italy during Late Antiquity (4th-6th century). Episcopal complexes provided urban communities with new foci of civic life, reflecting the increasing importance of the Church in public life beyond the religious sphere. As an expression of adequate organizational and financial means, the progressive monumentalisation of episcopal complexes can be considered as a reflection of this evolution.