Forma Quadrata Britanniae : the case of Londinium

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Cataldi, Giancarlo and Cataldi, Giulia and Visentin, Laura; (2022) Forma Quadrata Britanniae : the case of Londinium. In: Annual Conference Proceedings of the XXVIII International Seminar on Urban Form. University of Strathclyde Publishing, Glasgow, pp. 107-114. ISBN 9781914241161

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Abstract

In a previous research on the urban form of Alnwick, in Northumberland, we set out to integrate the well-known urban analysis of M. R. G. Conzen with the method of 'reading' of the Muratorian school (Cataldi, 2013). In particular, we had tried to apply the theory of the Forma Quadrata (Cataldi, 2014) to the entire territory of Great Britain, assuming that the origin of the 'square' geographical system, oriented secundum coelum, had been placed by the Romans in Dover (Portus Dubris), from where in 43 A.D. the occupation of the Island had begun. The verification of this hypothesis , with particular reference to the territory of Roman London, was carried out on the Map Ordnance Survey of Roman Britain at a scale of 1: 625,000, which topographically documents the location of the Roman centers and military fortresses within the entire roman road network, still largely functioning. We are pleased to present a preview of this work, which we are submitting in particular to the attention of the British colleagues, who are more interested in the knowledge of the permanent substrate structures, which have conditioned, and still condition, the territorial structure of Great Britain.

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