We have already discussed in the fourth chapter the problems of precisely defining the limits of this bishopric, of which we have only information from the middle of the sixth century. Unfortunately, the data we have are very scarce for the city of Italica. Although it is a Roman city that was abandoned and which has been excavated for decades, we do not have archaeological data from the time we are dealing with. Only the historical sources and some data from the periphery of the city allow us to speak of this city as experiencing a relatively important phase in Late Antiquity. The information about this bishopric is also very irregular. While the basilica of Gerena is one of the most known archaeological sites from Hispania with respect to the beginning of Christianity, the rest of the deposits are hardly known by researchers. As in the case with the other bishoprics with which we have dealt, this study represents the first time that a scholarly analysis has focused on the material and historical reality of the ecclesiastical topography in the bishopric of Italica.

The Outskirts of the City of Italica

As we have mentioned, the situation in which we find all matters related to Late Antiquity in this city is somewhat disheartening. We believe that one objective datum illustrates this: the first scholarly publication focused on the city in Late Antiquity to use a rigorous methodology was by a German researcher in 2002. Previously, were on general monographs, always focused on the importance of expanding city under Hadrian. To our knowledge, the city of Italica has an important late antique phase, which is still to be discovered. It is certain that the city did not disappear, but it even became stronger than its great rival, Seville, after the wars of Leovigild. As already mentioned, it is quite possible that the emergence the bishopric was a prize awarded for the city's fidelity to Leovigild (and, also, a stern punishment for Seville).

Archaeologically speaking, we think that materials such as those deposited in the Museo Arqueológico de Sevilla or finds such as those carried out by Fernández López in 1903 deserve a major effort of reinterpretation in light of new developments and insights such as those presented here.