Gela: il disegno della città arcaica e classica.

In the archaic and classical period Gela had a prominent position among the Greek colonies of Sicily; however, its urban plan is still much less known than those of the neighboring cities. In recent years, a review of previous archaeological excavations and some new specific field investigations as part of a research program of the University of Messina have made it possible to better connect all the known data on Gela, revealing an image of the city that is different in shape and size from that formerly proposed by scholars. On the basis of the results obtained and of some research on the ancient natural landscape, this work aims to present a hypothesis of reconstruction of the city plan with a special focus on the organization of the insulae and the housing units. The review of contexts and artifacts also led to the reformulation of the chronological phases of the life of the city, especially between the 5th and 4th centuries BC.