Le fotografie aeree dell’Asse per lo studio delle città antiche del Nord Africa

The paper focuses on a conspicuous unpublished collection of aerial photographs taken by Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica, stored in the Archive of the Historical Office of the Italian Air Force. It includes about 8,000 images relating to North Africa (in particular, northern Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya), with a size of 30 x 30 cm, taken between 1941 and 1943, which constitute historical documents on several levels, useful for both the reconstruction of the historical events of Second World War, and for the archaeological study of the documented urban and territorial contexts. Indeed, these images were taken before the transformations that took place after the war, due to the extension of urbanized areas, the construction of infrastructures and the diffusion of mechanized agriculture. So, although these photos were taken on military objectives (generally harbours, airfields and railway stations), in some cases they also document ancient sites both in partial continuity of life and abandoned. The contribution therefore examines the characteristics of the collection and aerial photos, and it highlights their importance for the archaeological study of the documented ancient centres, such as, for example, Skikda/Rusicade, Sétif/Sitifis, Tebessa/Theveste, El Djem/Thysdrus, Kairouan/Sabra al-Mansūriyya, Annaba/Hippo Regius, Carthage, Apollonia, Leptis Magna and Sbeitla/ Sufetula.