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The generation of 3D models depicting cities in the past holds great potential for documentation and educational purposes. However, it is often hindered by incomplete historical data and the specialized expertise required. To address these challenges, we propose a framework for historical city reconstruction. By integrating procedural modeling techniques and machine learning models within a Geographic Information System (GIS) framework, our pipeline allows for effective management of spatial data and the generation of detailed 3D models. We developed an open-source Python module that fills gaps in 2D GIS datasets and directly generates 3D models up to LOD 2.1 from GIS files. The use of the CityJSON format ensures interoperability and accommodates the specific needs of historical models. A practical case study using footprints of the Old City of Jerusalem between 1840 and 1940 demonstrates the creation, completion, and 3D representation of the dataset, highlighting the versatility and effectiveness of our approach. This research contributes to the accessibility and accuracy of historical city models, providing tools for the generation of informative 3D models. By incorporating machine learning models and maintaining the dynamic nature of the models, we ensure the possibility of supporting ongoing updates and refinement based on newly acquired data. Our procedural modeling methodology offers a streamlined and open-source solution for historical city reconstruction, eliminating the need for additional software and increasing the usability and practicality of the process.

Among many other themes, Leonardo da Vinci’s Manuscript B contains several drawings of centrally planned churches, some of which are represented using a plan view paired with a bird’s-eye view. The use of a bird’s-eye instead of an elevation represents an innovative depiction technique, which allows combining the immediacy of the perspective view with the measurability of the façades, and therefore to describe the three-dimensionality of the buildings. To understand the reasons behind the use of this original technique, the edifices’ shape and classify them, we decided to use 3D digital reconstruction techniques, for their ability to avoid misunderstandings in the reconstruction process and in the results. This article describes the method to create the digital models of sixteen churches. A Visual Programming Language (VPL) script was used as the 3D base for modelling the churches achieved from a classification code expressing the aggregative rules of the churches. Then, the geometric process for the construction of the plan and its relationship with the elevation measures were studied for each church. Finally, this information was used for the completion of the 3D models, distinguishing more output variants each time there was an inconsistency between plan and perspective view, a variability of one architectural element or an uncertainty.