Dai segni ai contesti. Una lettura archeologica degli spazi sacri.

Sacred places are significant markers in the perception of the physical, symbol- ic and cultural space: therefore, as we study local contexts through the analysis of all the available sources, we have to include in the investigation the spatial distribution of the holy places, according to the perspective of Global History and Landscape Archeology, emphasizing the importance of the spatial relationships existing between the various evidences in an archaeological context. The perception of a physical space as sacred often seems to be “crystallized” across time: thus, we can understand the persistent use of such spaces in differ- ent periods and cultures. This is true also in the case of several rock churches and underground sacred spaces investigated in the framework of the Project FIRB-Future in Research 2011. Considering the particular nature of these settlements, they have been investigated by means of ICT tools (tridimensional surveys, digital Photogrammetry), which prove to be useful not only for scientific research, but also for communication purposes and for the exploitation of cultural heritage.