Morphogenetic Axes as Generators and Anchors of Urban Form. The Ancient Aulona

Abstract Where and how do cities begin? How do the initial traces that mark the beginning of the city arise? Why do they emerge in a certain place and become fixed there? As Poete argues (in Rossi, pp. 51, 59), once the city emerges in a certain place, it is the road that keeps it fixed to the axes of development. These traces that the city “wraps” within itself are the beginnings of the urban fabric. Although the origin of cities is never limited to a single reason, this article examines the role of the road as a significant generative factor for the emergence of cities, as it exposes a specific territory to historical events, and anchors the city to its place of origin. Roads and other related artefacts are similar to a kind of nucleus around which the developments and variations of urban form gather and mesh. The article explores and analyzes these aspects in the case of ancient Aulona. Thus, the initial strategic crossroads, the fortress and the old pier of Aulona, their connecting axis, and its later extension, are considered the primordial artifactsthat underlie the generation of today's Vlora. Historians and archaeologists present evidence that supports a more holistic perspective on morphogenetic aspects, tracing back to a historical period (in space-time) that explains the emergence of Aulona from the interaction between earlier regional centers (Amantia-Kanina, Bylis-Triport, Orik); when Aulona became a significant crossroads after the Roman conquest; or when the old pier and fortress of Aulona became disconnected from the coastline due to geomorphological changes. These events reflect primordial, self-generative interactions – important imprints embedded in today’s city, still rooted in the same historical crossroads despite the many historical and natural events it has undergone. Keywords Aulona, generative factor, historical events, morphogenetics