Digital Twins for Medieval Monuments: Requirements from Art Historians and Technical Challenges for Analysis and Restoration

Abstract

Research on Visual Computing and Cultural Heritage naturally requires the involvement of multidisciplinary teams comprising art historians and technical experts. Despite the vast literature on digital 3D models in support of Cultural Heritage, the field is so rich and diverse that specific projects often imply distinct, unique requirements which often challenge the computational technologies and suggest new research opportunities. In this paper we discuss the requirements and technical challenges within the EHEM project, an ongoing research program for the analysis, documentation, interpretation, restoration, and communication of medieval artistic heritage. We describe the three monuments that serve as test cases for the project, all of them with a rich history in terms of architecture and paintings. We discuss the art historians' view of how digital models can support their research, the expertise and technological solutions adopted so far, as well as the technical challenges in multiple areas spanning geometry and appearance acquisition, color analysis and restoration as well as the representation of the temporal transformation of the architecture and the paintings.

An Open-Source Web Platform for 3D Documentation and Storytelling of Hidden Cultural Heritage

“…This open-source library, supporting different data formats, is optimised for rendering large point clouds in web browsers and for easily sharing online georeferenced products of laser scanning and photogrammetric surveys. Thanks to its native functionalities that ranges from the visualisation of classified point clouds to the execution of simple geometric measurements, Potree is widely used in data sharing and visualization of digitised CH sites for management [27,39] or restoration planning purposes [40,41], enhancing its potential in team cooperation. This approach is particularly useful also for sharing information on sites located in remote areas or affected by limited accessibility [13,24,30,42] as well as for visualising the results of multisource 3D data integration [43,44].…”

Imaging Based Techniques Combined with Color Measurements for the Enhancement of Medieval Wall Paintings in the Framework of EHEM Project

“…The main aim of the project was addressed to face the complexity of the medieval monuments by investigating three pilot sites: Sant Quirze de Pedret (Spain), the Enkleistra of Agios Neophytos (Cyprus); and Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome with the specific focus for combining technical instruments and methodological approaches able to improve the knowledge of the monuments and, above all, the fruition quality by various audiences. The EHEM project aim to create "Digital Twin" of each selected pilot site that digitally represents of the real monument and is able to integrate information from different sources, to visualize the monument through the various transformations occurred across the part centuries and to perform simulations and analyses [1].…”