Metric survey and possible representations of Historic Architectural Heritage: the case of the Santa Giustina Abbey

The semi-automatic metric survey techniques developed in the past years allow the recording of 3D models with an ever-increasing level of details and accuracies. The 3D database, usually georeferenced in a cartographic system, opens the floor to different kind of representations (e.g. 2D drawings, 3D models, digital animations, AR/MR applications etc.) conceived to satisfy different requirements at different graphic scales and aimed to increasing the knowledge of Cultural Heritage. The paper introduces some different representations that can be extracted from a 3D database: the “as built” representations, which put in evidence all the irregularities of a real building, as it today appears because of anthropic interventions and endogenous/exogenous events happened during its life. Starting from this 3D database the main task of the representations is interpreting and synthesizing the collected information aiming to recognize the architectural values of the building, the geometric matrices of the shape, the modularity of the composition, and the relationships between architecture and decoration. The Romanesque abbey of Santa Giustina in Sezzadio (Italy), a well preserved building, which considerable dimensions, constructive accuracy, and rich decorations testifying its territorial importance, is a significant case study for these purposes. It is a less documented architecture where metric survey and representations has been produced as a first step to support future researches.