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After the conquest of the Kingdom of Naples in 1442,
Alfonso V of Aragon transformed the Castel Nuovo, an
old Angevin fortress in the capital, into a new palace. In
addition to commissioning the well-known triumphal arch
ascribed to Francesco Laurana, he ordered the Majorcan
architect Guillem Sagrera to construct a number of singular
spiral stairca...
Citations
... This topic is part of a wider debate on the current digitization techniques of cultural heritage and the virtual anastylosis issues. The knowledge of the geometric rules underlying the construction of a building is in fact the most effective means not only to abstract ideal proportions and construction practices of intact artefacts (Rabasa et al., 2012;Aliberti & Alonso-Rodríguez, 2018;Piemonte, Caroti, Martinez-Espejo Zaragoza, Fantini, & Cipriani, 2018;Spallone, 2019), but also to imagine artefacts that never existed (Apollonio, Fallavollita, Giovannini, Foschi, & Corso, 2017;Garagnani, Cancilla, & Masina, 2019;Frommel, Apollonio, Gaiani, & Bertacchi, 2020) or no longer exist, or that are ruined (Cipriani, Garcia-León, & Fantini, 2019). Understanding empirical rules, modularity and proportions allow to complete and visualize ideally what is no longer possible to observe. ...
p class="VARAbstract">This paper addresses the challenge of digitally reconstructing ruined architectural sites and retracing their history, in order to virtually recompose their geometrical, stylistic and material integrity. To this end, the research team analyzed the ruins of the church of Santa Maria de Monasterio Albo, located in the ancient village of Misterbianco (Sicily) and destroyed (together with the entire hamlet) by the 1669 eruption of Mount Etna. In the last years, some excavation campaigns brought the church to the light, unveiling the remains of the main portal and six altars, which are one of the most remarkable examples of Mannerist art in eastern Sicily. This research aimed to three-dimensional (3D) reconstruct both the altars and the portal, ideally reviving their original 17<sup>th</sup> century configuration. This goal was achieved through an in-depth archival research (documents dating back to the years between 1300 and 1666 were consulted), an analysis of Classic and Renaissance treatises, and two integrated digital survey campaigns (laser scans and photogrammetry). The outcome is represented by the 3D models of the seven artifacts, which include surviving parts reconstructed as photogrammetric meshes, several fragments were placed in their likely early location through a virtual anastylosis, and NURBS (Non Uniform Rational Basis-Splines) surfaces (recreating the no longer existing elements). The latter were 3D modelled based on the treatises (which provided information on the correct proportioning) or in analogy with other coeval similar artifacts. Overall, the digital reconstruction was based on the ethical principles of transparency of the intervention, recognition of non-original additions and distinction between evidence and hypothesis, according to the London Charter and the Seville Principles. The experimentation provides a valid support for possible interventions in the real world and is the starting point to develop a digital archive of the site, which would make the different accuracy levels the reconstruction explicit.
Highlights:
3D virtual reconstruction is effective to visualize and bring back to life ruined architectural artefacts.
Information about the artefacts original appearance was harvested through digital survey campaigns, archival documents, and comparisons with iconographic sources and coeval buildings.
The 3D reconstruction follows ethical principles of transparency and combines photogrammetric meshes (partly relocated through a virtual anastylosis) and NURBS surfaces.
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