From worksite tracing drawings to integrated digital models for reconstructing and preserving cultural heritage

The method of incising in stone the working drawing of structural and decorative elements at the real scale (Αναγραϕευζ, Anagrapheus) goes back to ancient times. This technic was applied to conceive, represent and control the execution and the assembly of architectonic elements. In more recent literature on the subject focus of attention has shifted from the purely archaeological point of view to that of architectonic representation. The new approach is based on reading guidelines, geometries, traces of assembly and workmanship, wear surfaces - all employed in constructing architecture. Worksite tracing are executive drawings of the design that the architect realized to convey his design idea at a detailed scale. This operative methodology was used in ancient times in Greece and in Imperial Rome and it survived into later periods: romanesque, gothic and renaissance as evidenced by numerous cathedrals in France, England, Spain and Italy. The present research examines drawings found in the cathedral of Terni. Through a careful historical analysis and an integrated survey of the incisions characterized by massive acquisition supplemented with traditional methodologies, digital models have been constructed providing an important contribution to their cognition and preservation.