International Symposium by Laboratory of Regional Design with Ecology, Graduate School of Hosei Univ.
Theme: "Cultures of Ship Transportation and Port Towns in Italy and other Mediterranean Cities"

Date：27.September.2004　13:00-18:00
Place：School room 302 of '62 Building, Ichigaya Campus, Hosei Univ.

"Ships, Ports and Navigation in the Mediterranean Sea--from Ancient Greece to Medieval Italy"
Tokyo University of Marine Science and TechnologyTakako Niwa
The convenience of transportation has greatly contributed to the prosperity and lasting of civilization. Since ancient times, the convenience of water transportation and maritime traffic had allowed transmission and exchange of advanced cultures, as well as fostered rich civilizations. I will review the history of Mediterranean civilization from the viewpoint of ocean, with a focus on Mediterranean ships, ports and navigation from ancient Greece to medieval Italy.
The Code of Hammrabi of ancient Mesopotamia shows detailed rules for maritime trade, which suggests active maritime freight at that time. The development and maintenance of overland route had been completed until 9th century; however, the volume of distribution using transportation by sea, had been hundreds of times or even thousands of times as large as that of overland route. Naval engineering had been developed and rafts of bullboat, tub boats (tarai-bune) which are still used, etc. were drawn on the relief at that time.
As shown in the phrase: "Egypt is the gift of the River Nile", the Egyptian civilization had flourished along the River Nile because of the rich foods obtained from fertile land, which was exported to the Mediterranean and realized economic prosperity. Meanwhile, the phrase, "Egypt is the gift of the flood of the River Nile" had been also true. When the Nile flooded, the entire Egypt would become a part of the ocean. People utilized the situation and transported the freight by sea over great distances. The "hogging truss", a cable tightened between stem and stern to prevent them from loosening to the outside, was invented; this cable was a life rope for a ship of ancient Egypt. The "holy ship" in front of the tomb had been the religious custom, for a king to start his journey by crossing the river; "Khufu's Solar Boat (Cheops Boat)" is well known example. The ship had been made from Lebanon ceder, which was indispensable material for ship building of that time.
Phoenicians were marine trading people who had gained the supremacy in the Eastern Mediterranean, with their supreme ship building technology and skillful ship handling. Phoenicians started trade with Egypt for Lebanon ceder. The invention of keel for supporting the whole center line through stem and stern, was as historical as the invention of automobile.
Greek civilization had been bright and sophisticated ocean civilization. The adoration and ambition to ocean, prayer to gods, and awe towards nature are symbolically described in Ancient Greek ocean literature, such as "Odysseia". The Greek ship, trireme had been a star military ship, which had contributed to the establishment of the democracy in Greece. In the same period, many good natural ports, such as Delos had existed.
On the other hand, land people Roman had owned no military ship until 300 B.C.; however, in the course of Punic Wars, they had completely destroyed and defeated Phoenician colony Carthage, and then advanced to the Mediterranean world, gaining a foothold in the Mediterranean sea as "mare nostrum". Within the huge remains of Ostia Port, which had been the distribution center of ancient Roma, we can find guilds, docks, temple, thermae, outdoor theater, square, residences of wealthy merchants, etc. In this way, ancient port had been completed in Rome.
The Mediterranean history, as varied and multileveled ocean civilization, has been forgotten in European civilization since the modern age, although the former composes the basis of the latter. It will be very meaningful that we turn our eye from land to ocean, and that thoroughly review the history of the Mediterranean world as ocean civilization, which had been formed by people who lived in the middle of a vast wilderness in front of the ocean.

"City of Intermediary Commerce, Venice--its socio-economic and spatial characteristics"
Professor of Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia, Director of Associazione Italiana di Storia UrbanaDonatella Calabi
Venice had been developed as a city of intermediary commerce. My report aimed to clarify the spatial originalities of this city, from the viewpoints of economy and urban structure, by comparing with other port cities.
Although Venice locates at the edge of the Mediterranean sea, it had gained decades of supremacy. This was realized by economic strategy, tax system and control of transportation conducted based on a clear orientation, which lead to the establishment of intermediary trade system. The economic background of Venice had been founded by the system that required all ships for distribution from every direction to pass Venice.
Then, we will discuss urban morphology. A typical port town is formed around a single port; however in Venice, port systems had been distributed. The resulting port had particular morphology: many inlets between Adriatic Sea and laguna (lagoon) had become ports, and canals running across the laguna serve as access routes to the ports. The islands had shared roles of the port (ship maintenance, warehouses for product storage, etc.), and functioned as a whole. On the ecological and delicate environment, Venice had established the effective, powerful and characteristic structure as a port town. We should look at not only technological feature, but also its outstanding system that had functioned for several centuries. This characteristic could not be found in any other cities.
In the next place, I took up the issue of immigrants and coexistence of people in a port town. Venice had historically went through such problem. According to the development of commerce, more varied cultures had coexisted and globalization process had proceeded. From the viewpoint of establishment of facilities for foreigners and colony control by Republic, Venice had provided hospitality for foreigners. They could be lived as members of the city, with churches for their own religions and communities. For Venice, immigrants had served important roles, not only for the city's economic activities, but also cultural activities. For example, Venice functioned as a basis of German culture, and exchanges between Germans and citizens had been realized. The foreign community had a preventive effect for civil war; these factors had made positive impacts on Venice.
Thus, the social wisdom for coexistence of various people with different languages and customs, had been accumulated in Venice. We can see richness that international trading city had been built up over extended period of time. The perspective shown above must be important for considering culture and society of a port town.

"Medieval Ocean City, Amalfi-Exchange with Oriental World and Spatial Structure of Port Town"
Director, Centro di Cultura e Storia AmalfitanaGiuseppe Gargano
Venice and Amalfi share similar history of formation, although they have quite different geographical conditions. The people in two cities had escaped from Germanic peoples in the early medieval period, arriving at the safe lands in front of the ocean where possibilities for Commerce of the Levant were opened. In this report, I clarified the development process of the medieval ocean city Amalfi, from the viewpoint of document history since ancient times.
The ancient traces of human occupation were found in Amalfi, such as unearthed stone tools of prehistoric times. The Romans had begun to live in this city and emperors built villas along Amalfi Coast between Amalfi and Sorrento, including Capri. Therefore, many of the place names along Amalfi Coast are derived from Latine, some of which are from Roman aristocrats who owned villas.
The peculiar land form of valley was easily defensible, particularly from Germanic peoples without ships for transportation. In addition, for people in Amalfi, the site of the city opened to the ocean, expanded possibilities for Commerce of the Levant.
In 839, Amalfi had obtained ocean autonomy and attained prosperity as early as the 10th century. Republic of Amalfi had been established, composed of several city cores dotting along the coast, and Amalfi became the economic and political center.
The "arsenale" of Amalfi is the only existing medieval dockyard in southern Italy. The port was built, utilizing natural terrain, as well as forming tuff from Vesuvio Volcano that had erupted in Roman times. The commercial district stretched along the port area. There are many places named according to commercial functions. Residential area sprawled over east and west hills, while industrial area was located in the north of the city. People would crack wheat with water wheel utilizing river; paper industry evolved after that time and in the 14th century, iron industry had been developed. The terraced field stretched over the surrounding areas, where currently lemon trees are planted and specialty product, Amalfi Lemons are produced. In the picture of Duomo Square in 1854, the planning of the square can be seen, in which Romanesque had been applied in place of baroque. The fa_ade drawn here is similar to the one we can currently find. Lastly, it is worth noting that the present fa_ade of Duomo Square had been completed by a Venetian mosaic worker in 1891.

"Pisa and Genova-Comparative Study of Ocean Cities"
Prof. of Hosei Univ., Director of Laboratory of Regional Design with EcologyHidenobu Jinnai
I considered comparatively four major medieval ocean cities in Italy: Venice, Amalfi, Pisa and Genova, from the viewpoints of politics, social structure, port functions, and urban morphology.
Among the above four ocean cities, only Pisa had expanded over both sides of a river. In contrast to Firenze which was developed on the north side of a river, Pisa stretched over each side of the Arno river, flowing from Firenze in the early years. Since the Middle Ages, the Arno river has served a key role. The important functions of the city were distributed along the river, lined with stalls, boatslips and bustling markets, representing active features of the city.
However, in the process of drastic urban renovation conducted under the rule of the Medici family, miscellaneous market functions were moved to the inside of the city; monuments and squares had been built instead, and the array of beautiful facades decorated the river banks. The river was gradually changing its feature; from functional area for receiving products, discharging and market, to symbolic one for festivities and spectacles. Canal Grande of Venice went through similar qualitative change of space.
Although the construction of high banks in river renovation of 1970's, have weakened closeness to the waterfront, people still uses the river symbolically. One of the examples is Candlelight Festivities of S. Ranieri, which has continued until today. A festival reminds people of memories connected to the river, around which the city has evolved.
Genova had been developed as a good port since ancient Roman times. The straight stretch of arrays extends from the blocks since the Middle Ages toward the port, connecting to the pier. There is no square as symbolical as S. Marco in Venice or Duomo in Amalfi, playing important roles as spatial system for integrating the whole city; the political and power structure is thought to be the cause of such spatial difference. In Genova, noble lineages would often compete for power. This made lost unity of the city as a whole, and Genova did not express its way as integrated city. Instead of castle wall around the city, casa-torres were built for defense. The firm ground are appropriate for houses extending vertically, while the ground floors compose portico, providing public spaces where anyone can pass through. Such public spaces complement narrow roads and less squares.
As we have seen, politics, social structure, and port function systems have made differences among urban morphologies. However, the cultures fostered in close relationship with ocean have commonly passed on to present cities.