Tecniche edilizie e tradizione ellenistica. I mattini sesquipedali rettangolari a Pisa

An investigation of the archaeological warehouses of Pisa has allowed the recognition of rectangular bricks of the sesquipedales type. These artefacts, typical of the Cisalpine region, are also known in northern Etruria in Arezzo, Florence, Pistoia and Lucca. Their diffusion requires a new study of their production, transmission of technical knowledge and of the architectural models linked to their use. As in the Cisalpine region, the case of Pistoia and Florence shows that these bricks were used for the construction of city walls, in important moments for the ancient cities, such as the acquisition of the title of municipium or colonia. In Pisa too one can hypothesize their use for urban defence or for the construction of public buildings when the city became colonia Iulia Opsequens Pisana.