Preserving the architectural heritage by increasing the knowledge of the community: the case of the ancient church of San Pietro di Consavia in Asti

“The first level of safeguard is, obviously, knowledge; to know means […] to document. […] In architecture this problem was conceptually overcome by survey, a composite operation […]” (Cundari, Carnevali, 2000) The safeguard of the Cultural Heritage, as stated in the above mentioned document, involves social and educational aspects. As researchers of survey and representation methods, I think that we can propose methodologies that can actively contribute to widen the knowledge and the understanding of the Cultural Heritage and support its sharing, in the conviction that the safeguard and fruition should go together. The experience that I want to present consists of the case of a historical building that has reached its present condition as a result of a series of factors of aggregation, reshaping, demolition which happened over the life of the building. It is the ancient church of San Pietro di Consavia in Asti, called the “rotunda”, a building of Medieval origin, which was subject to a particular modification and transformation. For the reconstruction of this process of transformation, 3D modelling techniques were applied, to generate digital geometric models of the changes that the monument underwent over time. The visualisation within the 3D model of the internal and external changes and transformations, permits the user to experience visualisation in 3D virtual space, for the various periods during the evolution of the monument. The model has been prepared on the basis of historical, bibliographical and archival analyses integrated with the pre-existent archaeological survey as well as direct and photographic surveys. The results of this work are visible on permanent displays in the building, which is now a museum open to the public, and on the Asti City web site.