Vol. 11 (2025): Las influencias bizantinas en la escultura visigoda. Análisis de los elementos decorativos procedentes del sureste hispano: Basílica de Algezares y conjuntos arqueológicos de Begastri y Cerro de la Almagra

The book Byzantine Influences on Visigothic Sculpture, by Fabrizio Sanna, offers an in-depth analysis of the possible penetration of Byzantine art into the sculptural production of southeastern Hispania during the 6th and 7th centuries. Focusing on the archaeological sites of the Basilica of Algezares, Begastri, and the hill of La Almagra, the study begins from a debated historiographical premise: whether there was direct Byzantine influence or rather indirect diffusion mediated by Africa or Eastern communities settled in the peninsula. Sanna proposes an interdisciplinary methodology that combines technical, typological, and stylistic analysis of the sculptural elements (capitals, plinths, shafts, plaques, etc.) with a historical, archaeological, and cultural contextualization. The author identifies signs of a possible common workshop in the region, characterized by shared techniques and decorative vocabularies, and highlights a possible "Africanization" of local art rather than a strict Hellenization. He also provides a thorough review of the state of the question from the 19th century to the most recent studies, evaluating different interpretive schools. Finally, he emphasizes the role of Byzantine Spania and exchanges with North Africa as key vectors in shaping the regional Visigothic sculpture.