Castelli e villaggi fortificati in Basilicata in età normanna

The fortified settlements of the Norman period in Basilicata represent one of the most significant phenomena in shaping the region's medieval landscape. Conceived not only as military structures but also as centres of political, administrative, and economic power, they embody the material outcome of complex dynamics of territorial control, settle-ment reorganization, and the assertion of lordship. This paper offers a critical reassessment of these contexts considering recent historiographical and archaeological advances, with a particular focus on a case study investigated by the Chair of Christian and Medieval Ar-chaeology at the University of Basilicata: the site of Altojanni, in the municipality of Grot-tole (MT). Adopting a multidisciplinary approach that integrates documentary sources, ma-terial evidence, architectural analysis, and landscape survey, the article aims to highlight the strategic role of these settlements within the framework of Norman policy in southern Italy, as well as their contribution to the development of new socio-economic and cultural configurations during the medieval period.