Porta Aurea in Ravenna: a digital hypothetical reconstruction

Within the theoretical and methodological framework of the challenges and opportunities offered by 3D models digital archives, one of most critical topic is related to define new protocols for processing spatial data, in supporting a project of virtual reconstruction, able to validate the results and guarantee full transparency of any reconstructive study. The study of Porta Aurea, a roman gate in Ravenna, has been interesting some of the most famous architects over the centuries. The proposed virtual reconstruction is based on joining reality-based survey of some archaeological findings with a wide kind of historical sources (drawings, images, contributions and analysis of the in-situ structures). This case-study involves some fundamental problems related to the definition of reconstructive hypotheses. In this paper we will describe a methodological workflow - from data acquisition to the formulation of reliable hypotheses related to the representation and visualization of different architectural elements (characterized by a defined level of uncertainty) - able to allow the verification of the assumptions used during the reconstruction pipeline.