Agenda

ECONOMIC INTERACTIONS IN THE ROMAN NORTHERN ADRIATIC
Regional Trajectories of Production, Trade and Consumption from the Sea to the Mountains

International Online Conference 

7 May 2026

Organised by
Dimitri Van Limbergen (FOST – Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
Federica Maria Riso (UniversitÈ Catholique de Louvain)
Andrea Cipolato (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)

For decades, Roman economic narratives have centered on the Tyrrhenian coast and the western Mediterranean, reinforcing the centrality of regions stretching from Campania to Hispania in classical scholarship. Only recently have scholars begun to question the limits and lacunae of this historiographical bias, increasingly recognizing the Northern Adriatic as a vital – yet still ill-understood – component for reconstructing the commercial and ecological dynamics of the Roman world.
The Northern Adriatic – running clockwise from Ravenna to Pula and encompassing the regions of Emilia- Romagna, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Istria – has rarely played a leading role in scholarly discussions on the Roman economic system. This marginalization stems both from the biases of ancient sources and from modern research agendas traditionally focused on more valorized areas. Persistent uncertainties surrounding product traceability and long-term distribution patterns have further hinderedthis region's integration into the broader Roman economic framework.
In recent decades, however, interdisciplinary research combining ceramic studies, pollen analysis and environmental data has increasingly revealed the Northern Adriatic as a key hub in systems of production and redistribution. This conference foregrounds the area as a highly interconnected economic and ecological zone within the Roman Empire and reassesses its role in regional and interregional exchange from the 4th-3rd century BC to the 2nd-3rd century AD.
 
The detailed programme is attached.

Participation in the conference is free of charge, and interested participants can register at this link to receive the Microsoft Teams link.