G. Mastronuzzi, G. Vizzino, Spazi sacri e paesaggio: analisi GIS per lo studio dei luoghi di culto nella Puglia meridionale preromana, in D. Lefèvre-Novaro, C. Voisin (éd.), Sanctuaires et paysages. La (re)découverte des lieux de culte en Méditerranée centrale et orientale, Actes du colloque international, Strasbourg, 21 - 23 novembre 2023, Strasbourg, Institut thématique interdisciplinaire HiSAAR, 2025 (ISBN: 978-2-494259-18-8), pp. 58-81.

The sacredness of a place of worship cannot only be perceived through its architectural structures, but it can also manifest itself through the visual sensations evoked by the surrounding landscape that characterises it. In the Mediterranean world there are countless examples of these. The typology and location of sacred areas in the pre-Roman Apulian settlements of Vaste and Oria (6th-3th c. BC) represent a significant example of the role played by the surrounding landscape in the perception of the sacred. In Oria, Monte Papalucio, the site of community worship since the sixth century BC, was placed at a crossroads which connected urban area, necropolises and open agricultural land. In Vaste there are different kinds of definitions of the sacred space. In the Archaic phase (6th-5th c. BC), there is evidence of the presence of cult places with cippi (limestone orthostats) at the limits of the village; they created a ‘sacred circle’ around the inhabited area. Subsequently, in the Hellenistic period, the cult area of Piazza Dante, in the heart of the town, assumed great importance, probably destined for community ceremonies, as in Oria; in this phase some smaller cult places were set at the periphery of the settlement. Thus, the study and analysis of the landscape can shed light on the choices that led to the location of the places of worship. In particular, the use of GIS has enhanced the study of ancient places of worship and their relationship with the surrounding environment. Factors such as perception and movement are concepts taken into consideration to better understand settlement choices and past events. The case studies of Oria and Vaste can be examined as examples of the visual impact that these sacred places had on the population because they became a point of reference with roads that allowed the crossing of territories and connected places.