Le res sacrae nel ius divinum: consecratio, dedicatio e profanatio

The study of the res sacrae in Roman law has often been conducted from the point of view of the ius humanum. This essay deals instead with the rules of the ius divinum, and especially with the procedures through which a res became sacra and ceased to be so – that is, consecratio, dedicatio and profanatio. The sources show different procedures for the loca sacra and for all the other res: as to the former, solemn forms of consecration (and probably also profanatio) were envisaged; for the latter, consecration and profanatio were both informal. Furthermore, the sources attest to a different regime for the consecration of res and the consecratio bonorum, as well as to distinct meanings of the terms consecratio and dedicatio.