The extraordinary Pagan-Christian syncretism of the Longobard architecture makes it possible to consider its most emblematic feature to be the elusive certainty of determining when the practical function was really primary to the symbolic value.
Thomas Allocca
Dragon Skin
project name > Dragon Skin
type > Historical Research
subject > Wooden Church of the Longobard Royal Abbey
town > Nonantola, Modena, Italy
started > 2025 October
ended > 2026 March
directed by > Thomas Allocca
funded by > MWA
results > The research identified clues of Pagan-Christian syncretism based on dragon symbolism from pre-Christian Scandinavian-Germanic tradition, making it possible to hypothesize the highly military symbolism of the abbey, and a still surviving pagan tradition at the royal court of Pavia, with King Astolfo, in the mid-8th century.
article > Thomas Allocca (2026), Dragon Skin and the Longobard Royal Abbey of San Silvestro in Nonantola, Italy, Timber Framing Journal, issue 159, March 2026, published by Timber Framers Guild, Alstead, New Hampshire, USA
international recognition > In July 2026, the research was indexed by the Getty Conservation Institute (AATA Database), worthy to be in one of the most prestigious academic and spccialized literature database in the world for its innovative theories and scientific contribution in the knowledge and preservation of the world cultural heritage.
