The “Intelligence” of surveying. Towards a critical epistemology of architectural digitalization

The paper develops a critical reflection on the notion of digital intelligence applied to architectural knowledge, considering surveying as a cognitive rather than a merely technical process. Through the case studies of the Mausoleum of Caecilia Metella and the Caetani castrum at Capo di Bove, the research examines how integrated survey technologies—laser scanning and photogrammetry—enable an “intelligent” construction of knowledge based on the critical correlation of data rather than their accumulation. The article distinguishes between artificial intelligence and the intelligence of surveying: the former aims at automation, the latter at comprehension. Grounded in metrical, philological, and stratigraphic approaches, this perspective redefines digitalization not as a documentary end, but as a conscious act of knowledge, outlining a critical epistemology of architectural heritage.