Abstract:

The study of Late Antique Hispanic buildings has been one of the most analysed and debated topics in recent archaeological research. This contribution is an updated bibliographical review, focusing on the architecture of power, aiming to establish a typological framework that connects with well-known Mediterranean precedents and parallels. It allows us to define a cultural process situated within a context of fortification and the differentiation of power architecture from its immediate urban environment. This phenomenon manifests equally in both civil and ecclesiastical spheres, while also revealing indications in rural areas. Our proposal establishes an ambitious approach that suggests a common thread derived from the official administrative and military architecture of the 4th century, which evolves in the following centuries, and even identifies patterns of continuity in the Emirate period.