Hypothetical Reconstruction of the Forum Novum of Leptis Magna. Design Rules and Cultural Influences, Materials and Construction Techniques

Abstract

In the monumental complex “basilica - forum - colonnaded street” of Leptis Magna in Libya there are morphological and construction principles that will mark the architecture of the third century AD, in particular the peculiar characters of Severan architecture. For the first time in the history of the Roman Empire, there is a “monumentalization” of the artistic language of late imperial age that we will find in the architectural and decorative productions of late antiquity. The research focuses not only on the cultural influences which helped to define the Severan architectural character in Leptis Magna, but also on the analysis of the forum novum1 through a new image that underline its artistic and architectural qualities as synthesis of different cultural influences. In detail and without any order they are - a general plant with some tricks hiding the different rotation of the pattern, such as trapezoidal rooms or different spans of the order; - the surrounding porticos defined by columns supporting arches instead of horizontal beams; - the decorations realized with an excessive use of the helical drill, generating a very strong “chiaroscuro” effect; - an enclosure-wall characterized by elements of entablature resting on free columns or pilasters, depending of the importance of the wall. This architectural principles were perfectly integrated with the existing context and with the Roman models, creating a compositional and constructive harmony between East and West, that made the site one of the most famous and luxurious in North Africa.