Two churches from different eras resurface in Siponto

In the port district of Siponto, in Manfredonia, the archaeological excavation campaign conducted by the Universities of Bari and Foggia has brought to light two churches from different eras. The first dates back to the 5th-6th century AD and would be dedicated to the martyrs Agatha and Stephen; this paleochristian place of worship was later incorporated into a medieval church, built above and around the older remains.

The discovery reveals the stratification of a place of worship that has spanned centuries of history, with a more recent structure that did not erase the previous one but incorporated it into its own layout. This type of superimposition is one that archaeologists often encounter at sites of long religious use, where each building phase grafts onto the one that precedes it rather than replacing it entirely.

Scientific direction of the excavation campaign is entrusted to Giovanni De Venuto and Giuliano Volpe, of the University of Bari, and to Roberto Goffredo and Maria Turchiano, of the University of Foggia. The involvement of two universities from Puglia in the same project confirms academic interest in the archaeological area of Siponto, already known for its importance as a coastal settlement in late antiquity and the medieval period. It is a site that over the centuries has seen different settlement phases follow one another, from the Roman port to the early medieval town, up to the progressive depopulation that led to the founding of nearby Manfredonia.

The discovery of the two churches comes as part of an ongoing phase of excavations in the area, conducted using stratigraphic method to distinguish the different construction phases of the site. The fieldwork requires precisely separating the layers belonging to the paleochristian building from those of the medieval superstructure, an operation that allows for the reconstruction not only of the architectural appearance of the two churches but also of the timing and manner of their succession. What remains to be determined are the timing and manner in which the two religious buildings, once scientific documentation has been completed, may be made accessible or further studied by the two universities directing the project.