La villa romana di Cottanello (RI) e le ville del territorio di Forum Novum in età tardoantica: i risultati delle indagini del CNR e nuove prospettive di ricerca

The archaeological research carried out by the CNR Institute of Her- itage Sciences at the Roman villa of Cottanello in Sabina since 2013 provided new information for the late antique phase (4th-6th century) of the building. Starting from a synthesis of these results, already published, the paper deals with the broader context of the territory of the municipium of Forum Novum to which the villa itself belonged. Particular attention is paid to the villa sites in whose area medieval churches were built. Finally, the ongoing research activ- ities aimed at deepening the knowledge of the villas in this area are presented, also as regards the late antique phases.