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In recent years, the need to digitize and create digital twins of the ar-chitectural and artistic heritage has been confirmed and accelerated. In this con-text, the DIDA-LXR (Laboratory for eXtended Reality) of the DIDALABS sys-tem, has carried out a series of research on the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality solutions to create and support activities in digital surveying, workshops for architects, and the establishment of a common knowledge basin regarding the existing architectural heritage. In this paper, several experiences are presented, and their workflows and results are shared. The selection focuses on the virtual reconstruction of the Gothic apses in the Cathedral of Fabriano; the reconstruc-tion of the frescoes in Santa Maria dei Bianchi in Gubbio and the virtual recon-struction of the Horrea Agrippiana at the Roman Forum in Rome. Despite these four case studies being different, they all aim at creating a series of products that document the state and possible aspects of the past of significant elements of the architectural heritage. In their own way, they fix the state of knowledge and con-dition of these complex artefacts, preserving their memory and creating a valua-ble basis for any further interventions. Simultaneously, the use of today's digital tools in structures geared towards both sharing in working groups and dissemi-nation activities makes this content available for a wide variety of processing. The technologies for the visualisation of digital works are to be considered ex-cellent tools for the use and enhancement of Cultural Heritage.

In the 1550s Florence’s water supply was upgraded through the construction of a new aqueduct. Prior to that, water needs were supported by the remnants of a Roman aqueduct and by wells and cisterns. The new infrastructure increased the amount of available water and allowed for the construction of fountains in the city’s main squares, with themes principally derived from Greek and Roman mythologies. In 1641 the twin Mostri Marini (‘Marine Monsters’) fountains designed by Pietro Tacca were installed in the Piazza dellaSantissima Annunziata. The bronze and stone statues presented fantasy creatures whose flexuous shapes suggested moving fluid. But while these statues complemented the square, they were not originally planned for the location, having been intended for placement in the main Tuscan harbour town of Livorno. This study draws on high-resolution photogrammetry to analyse the structures with this specific digital survey being presented for the first time.

In this article, the very original urban landscape perception caused by the emergency after the 2020’ New Coronavirus Pandemic event will be discussed and analyzed. The instruments of photography, intended as tools of representation will be applied to this specific environment, then used as a base of reflection about the perception of the changes in the urban environment and the effects of this perception on people. Most of the approaches conducted on social media and the newspapers have pointed to putting in evidence the spectacular empty cities ‘as never seen before’, which thing is correct and underlines a unique condition otherwise almost impossible to experience. The total lock-down caused by the emergency made it impossible to move from a view of the urban landscape to another, where most of the people were able to see such an emptiness only for their town, maybe just for their neighbourhood and maybe just from some lucky windows. The global condition will be watched not simply by composing together the pictures exhibited online and in the newspaper, but using a specific set of images, created in the days of the emergency that will comment and describe the contents of the article.

The paper deals with the application of Building Information Modelling (BIM) to the documentation and preservation of Archaeological Heritage. illustrating the implemantation process to a case study. The work process started from the historical analysis tighether with the geometric capturing of the built morphology. A 3D model was created by combining laser scans and a digital photogrammetric survey. To maka all 3D data sets interoperable, it was developed a BIM project execution plan focused on the restoration of Shipwreck Museum in the Kyrenia Castle in Cyprus. The HBIM approach not only allows ti represent the existing historic fabric with an effective visualization but also to lead a complex analysis of designed interventions in various scenarios. All the additional information besides the geometrical data were stored into the HBIM able ti document the manteinance and ti help the future works. It will be illustrated the procedure and the methodology by presenting the outcomes of the research.

The central position of Sardinia in the Mediterranean made it a crossing point of many cultural and political events, but at the same time, its isolation has favoured the manifestation of specific and unique Cultural Heritage phenomena, like the network of the Romanesque churches, disseminated all around the island, which shows how an architectural language can be declined to site-specific materials, always preserving its original logic and grammar. In the specific case of these Romanesque churches, the architectural language is more than ever subject to petrification: all the elements of the project are adapted to be realized in local stones. This is evident for all these churches, while the “imported” language of the Romanesque has no parallel with a similar process of reinterpretation for other kinds of buildings. The elements that elsewhere (like in Tuscany) are most of the time divided between facing elements and structural elements, here are often all structural, exploiting the features and differences in colours of the volcanic stones. In the research presented here, on the basis of architectural characteristics and petrophysical features, a significant series of these churches are analysed in this specific nature using digital survey and petrophysical investigation.

The “Valdilocchi Battery” in La Spezia, digital survey and documentation of an architecture on the edge of an epochAll the fortifications have their time. They respond to specific way of defending and attacking they change in time accordingly to the terrible habits of the weaponry and technology evolution. For a long time, from the age of the great fortifications, to the use of cannons, to the invention of the aerial war, the military built heritage have seen a long transformation made of sudden architectural changes, until the moment when the possibility of bombing and attacking from the sky signed the sunset of the large over ground buildings in favour of mimetic and underground structures. The “Valdilocchi Battery” belong to the last age of the large fortress, capable to resist to ground attack while showing the aspect of an inexpugnable stronghold. Sited on the top of a hill in the eastern part of the La Spezia gulf, this battery had the function of second line defense to control the neighboring valleys. The particular pentagonal plant and the state of excellent preservation, except for a part of collapse on the front of the gorge due to the German bombing, make it an artifact of great value.

Artifacts are not only fundamental evidences of our history and culture, but they are even entities having a proper "life". The present research focuses on Bartolomeo Ammannati’s Juno Fountain (1555) – a Late-Renaissance masterpiece whose eventful story made it moving around from its planned site, the "Sala Grande" in Florentine Palazzo Vecchio, to Pratolino Park, then to Boboli Garden. Finally, current fragments re-assembling and museography staging under the vaults of the National Museum of Bargello court in Florence has been set up a few years ago on the 5th centenary of Ammannati’s birthdate – after careful historical research about the many vicissitudes of the Fountain. Although there isn’t any location change expected for this Ammannati’s artwork, investigations and researches are going on. Namely, the seismic performance of the reconstructed Fountain is to be checked with reference to the seismic hazard of the site, as provided by the Italian Code classification. To this objective, the previously done laser scanning which allowed a three-dimensional digital modeling to help re-assembling the Fountain, has been now adopted to perform the structural analysis. Consequently, a structural evaluation to check the setting’s seismic behavior is currently under process. The research, developed by joining different knowledges and fields, is an example of the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for preserving artifacts and museums’ collections.

The archaeological patrimony in the Mediterranean area is one of the most intense manifestation of the will of the many societies populating this area since ancient times. It is a complex and articulated Cultural Heritage presenting difficult puzzles and impressive possibilities. With a continuous series of abandons and/or persistence the many traces from the past are a never-ending challenge for the archaeological and architectural culture across time. Some remains/monuments may present traces or transformations between their foundation and our time, while others are simple ruins, sometimes totally to be discovered and hard to be interpreted.In our time, the digital approach to "everything" offers a lot about digital reconstruction, dissemination, sharing and understanding for any kind of archaeological heritage, but this process, sometimes, comes opening more questions about the original aspect of these sites than any previous approaches. This creates the need of an accurate comprehension of the subject of the reconstruction, of its connection and its context. While digital reconstruction, virtual reality, augmented reality, mobile apps are only "words" (sometimes just expensive) if not supported by contents and clear architectural ideas. In this journey to knowledge, “drawing” is the main guiding tool and operation, from the first sketches to the final virtual model it is the way to discover back the traces of the original plot, the thing to suggest possible solutions. A too much specialist or too poor approach to these contexts are at risk of stooling something to the possible suggestions coming from the real sites. Basing its considerations on twelve years of digital surveys and various tentative of digital reconstruction, this contribution will propose a discussion and to define a path for this kind of specific architectural procedures in the digital age. Since the mainly “visual” techniques coming from a romantic way to look at the archaeological ruins, the contemporary approach is now, more than ever, in need for clear checklists, for smart “to do lists” and for “stations” were the architect and the archaeologist must stop and reflect about the results before ending the reconstruction proposal they are bringing on. Various Roman and Medieval case studies will be presented to support the concepts and solutions for the proposed methodology.

[EN] The research presented here puts together different direct and/or physical operations all aimed to enhance the knowledge and produce advanced dissemination of the very last ship from the “Mosquitos’ Fleet” which operated during the World War I and in some operations even during the World War II. The exploration of the valuable remains along the Thames River in London, the intervention with archaeology strategy, the use of digital survey procedures, the investigation of the references about the fleet, the digital modelling and drawing and the final online sharing of the 3D model, brought together to a specific digital heritage creation of an element with a high risk of getting lost. An international team worked together on the poor shipwreck of the Eothen (the last name assigned to this ship by its last owner). The intervention was operated in very odd operative conditions, with the hull invaded by the mud, the very wet environment and the daily flood of the area, such a mix of difficult conditions were a special challenge for the survey operations, which were optimized and accurately planned to allow the best and efficient result in terms of coverage and level of details. The following post-processing aimed to the production of a classic set of 2D drawings and an interactive 3D model, accessible in a real-time visualization from the sketchfab.com platform creates an excellent base for a possible following restoration/musealisation intervention, or, at least, allow digital preservation of a rich dataset of the remains of this interesting piece from the naval history of the first half of the 20th century., [ES] La investigación que aquí se muestra reúne diferentes operaciones directas y/o físicas, todas orientadas a mejorar el conocimiento y producir una puesta en valor del último barco de la “Flota de Mosquitos” que operó durante la Primera Guerra Mundial y en algunas operaciones incluso durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Presentamos la exploración de los valiosos restos a lo largo del río Támesis en Londres, la intervención con estrategia arqueológica, el uso de procedimientos de levantamiento digital, la investigación de las referencias sobre la embarcación, el modelado y dibujo digital, y el intercambio final en línea del modelo 3D, reunidos en una aportación de patrimonio digital específico de un elemento con alto riesgo de perderse. Un equipo internacional , trabajaron juntos en el naufragio del Eothen (nombre asignado a este barco por su último propietario). La toma de datos se realizó en condiciones operativas muy complejas, con el casco invadido por el limo del rio, el entorno muy húmedo y la inundación diaria de la zona; esta mezcla de condiciones difíciles fueron un desafío especial para llevar a cabo las operaciones de levantamiento, las cuales fueron optimizadas con el objetivo de obtener el mejor y más eficiente resultado en términos de cobertura y nivel de detalle. El siguiente posprocesamiento estuvo dirigido a la obtención de un conjunto clásico de dibujos 2D, así como de un modelo 3D interactivo, accesible en una visualización en tiempo real desde la plataforma Sketchfab.com. Así se ha creado una base excelente para una posible intervención posterior de restauración/musealización, o, al menos, para obtener la preservación digital de un rico conjunto de datos de los restos de esta interesante pieza de la historia naval, de la primera mitad del siglo XX.

[EN] In recent years, the study of the evolution of the appearance and conformation of cities over the centuries has found new forms of representation through the use of digital modelling and related immersive techniques. These technologies, spread through the gaming industry, are now finding more and more space also in the world of archaeology and the rediscovery of cultural heritage to allow us to catapult ourselves into scenarios that belonged to the past. These investigation methods lend themselves remarkably well in the case of large urban places that no longer exist due to destructive events but of which there is a sufficient amount of documentation such as to be able to reconstruct its appearance with excellent detail and high reliability. This project aims to rebuild the city of Messina as it appeared in the eighteenth century before being razed to the ground by natural disasters.

Il Capitolo, inserito nel libro dal titolo "Architettura Romanica e Territorio", esplicita le tre fasi principali in cui si è svolto lo studio sulle chiese romaniche costruite durante l'età giudicale della Sardegna (dall'undicesimo al tredicesimo secolo). Durante la prima fase, i monumenti sono stati analizzati inizialmente sulla base dei dati esistenti, con i metodi tradizionali comunemente utilizzati nella ricerca storico-artistica (fonti archivistiche ed epigrafiche, storiografia, lettura tecnicoformale, struttura cronologica e culturale) e nella ricerca delle scienze applicate (caratterizzazione macroscopica dei principali litotipi utilizzati nelle costruzioni, loro stato di conservazione, fattori chimico-fisici di alterazione responsabili del degrado della roccia, forma e distribuzione delle forme di alterazione nei monumenti, etc.). Inoltre, è stata condotta un'indagine di rilievo delle strutture monumentali selezionate utilizzando la tecnologia laser-scan, basata su metodologie convenzionali precedentemente testate (rilevamento integrato, referenziazione topografica dei dati raccolti durante le operazioni di scansione laser, applicazione delle procedure di elaborazione delle immagini basate per migliorare leggibilità e funzioni di visualizzazione). Durante la seconda e la terza fase di lavoro sono stati studiati i diversi monumenti selezionati come casi studio, rappresentativi di gruppi tipologici omogenei, sia dal punto di vista storico che architettonico. Ogni monumento è stato sottoposto a un'indagine dettagliata sia per quanto riguarda i geomateriali (raccolti da campionamenti mirati alla successiva analisi degli aspetti chimico-mineralogici, petrografi ci e petrofisici), sia nei rapporti con i siti di costruzione, con particolare riguardo alla ricerca delle cave di provenienza. Si è posto l'accento sull'apporto che lo studio dei materiali costruttivi può offrire sia sul piano dell'avanzamento delle conoscenze scientifi che (composizione, degrado, provenienza) sia su quello relativo al corretto utilizzo di materiali innovativi, ma compatibili con quelli utilizzati nell'antichità, in sede di restauro conservativo dei monumenti. Per quanto concerne tale aspetto è stata condotta una sperimentazione della compatibilità di alcuni prodotti commerciali, o innovativi di nuova formulazione, applicando detti prodotti sui conci di pietra carbonatica, anche al fi ne di valutare la loro effi cacia come consolidanti e/o protettivi dei materiali lapidei oggetto di studio. Sono stati inoltre investigati e mappati i siti (i.e. cave antiche, quando ancora esistenti), in cui i materiali lapidei furono a suo tempo estratti e utilizzati nella costruzione dei monumenti, individuandone anche di attuali, ai fini di poter estrarre le rocce necessarie al restauro dell'opera, laddove il materiale demolito in loco non fosse sufficiente per la ricostruzione del monumento. Infine, sono state sviluppate proposte per indicare possibili percorsi turistico-culturali, dalla cava antica al manufatto, con descrizione delle tecniche di estrazione, trasporto e posa in opera della pietra.

The medieval Cathedral of Sant’Antioco di Bisarcio is one of the most important Romanesque churches in Sardinia. The countryside church is located on a volcanic hill in the area of Chilivani (Ozieri, north Sardinia). It was built with local Eocene-Miocene pyroclastites at the beginning of the XI century by Tuscan-Lombard workforce, according to three constructive phases, which reveal specific features both in terms of architecture and in relation to the use of building materials, represented by several pyroclastic rocks. The collected results of geochemical-petrographic analysis on the volcanic rocks and 3D Laser Scanner survey of ancient building, together with a historical research, have shed light on the provenance and alteration of geomaterials, the evolution and the mutilations suffered by the church at later times; among these it can be distinguished the opening of a mullioned window, which was the starting point of our specific focus on the elements of the capital and the original “pulvino”. The study of these elements was conducted through surveys and digital photogrammetry techniques.

This paper proposes the teaching experience of the course of Advanced Survey and Techniques of Representation (Five-year master degree in Architecture, Ferrara), whose main theme was the imposing monumental complex of San Michele in Bosco (Bologna). In recent years our research team has developed models and digital media products, focused on this theme, and on other issues of historic architecture. These products, both interactive and not, are useful for the communication of research results and the dissemination of complex and layered scientific contents. These experimentations undeniably represent the future of museal communication, and their results can be shown to the students as a possible field of research, but also as a job opportunity.

In the XX century, after being forgotten for centuries, a series of archaeological excavations have brought to light the settlement, named “Montecastrese”, a system of Medieval fortifications organized on the top of a hill near the town of Camaiore, on the Tirreno sea. The archaeologists brought back to light the traces of the fortress and of the village, exploring the monumental ruins of the northern tower, still in place and tumbled down in two main large parts. In the first half of the XIII century, the castle of Montecastrese was conquered and destroyed by the army of Lucca. At the time of its major development the small fortress was organized around two main towers, with walls and various houses. A quite extended village was placed on the southern side of the hill. In 2015 the municipality of Camaiore commissioned a complete digital survey to the Dipartimento di Architettura in Florence. The general survey plan has seen the use of aerial photogrammetric survey, 3D laser scanner survey and terrestrial photogrammetry. The use of 3D modeling of all the lost parts, from the houses to the defense walls, to the system of towers was one of the focal point in this work, using the modeling process from the survey and supporting the reconstruction hypothesis with previous archaeological data, while matching the missing parts with similar architectures and the needs of the medieval defense/attack techniques. For the northern tower a specific operation based on the use of 3D printed models was brought on to bring to an end the debate about the sequence of the fall of the tower, quite important to the digital reconstruction of this building, the direct manipulation of a scaled model turned out to be a fundamental step for the completion of this part of the research.

This work studies the Heliocaminus Baths. From an architectural point of view, this is a special and unique building in the complex of the Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli. This research is carried out with a multidisciplinary approach combining petrophysical, petrographic and mineralogical characterization with the techniques of digital survey. The purpose of the research is to contribute to the understanding of Roman construction through the study of materials and from architectural aspects. Using mineral-petrographic and physical analysis, a set of samples (mortars and stones) was investigated for composition and physical properties (density, porosity, water absorption, mechanical strength, etc.). In the case of mortars, these parameters, together with the particle size distribution and the binder/aggregate ratio determined in two ways using image analysis (on thin sections and on specimens), have shown a relationship between the physical and compositional characteristics and the function of mortars within the structure of the Heliocaminus Baths. However, in some cases, different characteristics were detected between the mortars belonging to the same masonry and with same function in the building, showing a slight inhomogeneity in the production of mortars. Furthermore, some relationships between compositional, physical aspects (i.e. porosity, sorting and size of aggregate) and mechanical strength have been found. All the gathered data, linked to the point cloud 3D model, allowed an accurate location of the traces from the construction story of this structure.

We continually hear about the virtues of the use of drones, but not about the real possibilities of the existing ones in the market applied to the work of architectural survey; and neither about the advantages and problems it solves in the incorporation of aerial photographs in the photogrammetric survey, covering topics such as the necessary software, turnaround times, the accuracies achieved or costs …. Additionally, there is a legislative part which is necessary to highlight, so below we have also summarized the legal and facultative needs to perform these work as established by AESA (We use the word drone (drones in plural) because it has been recorded in the 23rd edition of the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy, meaning unmanned aircraft. It can also be referred to as a UAV (Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle) or as the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency, has recorded it RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems)).

The “Fortezza Vecchia” (Old Fortress) in Livorno resumes many features of the fortified architecture realized in the Mediterranean in the Modern age, at the same time it has a significant stratification, with the clear sign of a continuous reuse, expansion and adaptation across time. Built from the XIV century it received main reconstructions and extension works from the XVI to the XX century. In early 2017 a complete digital survey (still ongoing at the time of this writing) has been started under the collaboration of Autorità Portuale di Livorno (Livorno Port Autority), Area3D S.l.r. and Dipartimento di Architettura, Firenze. The survey work has been planned using two 3D laser scanners with the implementation of topographical survey, terrestrial and areal (IUAV) photogrammetry. The paper proposed here will present the state of development of the data treatment and the specific methodology used to document such an important and large fortress.

This paper presents research on the historic urban settlement and natural landscape between the Goreme and Kiliclar (Swords) valleys, located in Kapadokya, one of the most distinctive human and natural landscapes in the world, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. The research was part of the Italian Scientific Research Programs of Relevant National Interest (PRIN) programme Rupestrian Art and Habitats in Kapadokya (Turkey) and in Central and Southern Italy – Rock, Excavated Architecture, Painting: Between Knowledge, Preservation and Enhancement. The study area has all the features of rupestrian Mediterranean culture, encompassing a heritage developed over time with environmental, architectural and artistic elements. It tells a special story about ancient life, completing and widening our comprehension of the past. There are buildings of great architectural and pictorial qualities, such as the Tokali Kilise, Saint Eustachius and Saint Daniel, where it is still possible to read the old defensive system and the local way of life. Yet these cave settlements are at risk from deterioration. The research is centred on survey, especially on a digital survey carried out using 3D laser scanners for the architecture as well as of the natural stone structure of the settlement. In this way the first complete and detailed documentation of this area has been created, allowing the first studies on the urban character of this archaeological site. The research presented here will show a fully digital approach using 3D digital models aimed to investigate, read, preserve the information and disseminate the artistic and cultural values otherwise not easily accessible and continuously at risk of loss because of decay processes.