From survey, to 3D modelling, to 3D printing. Bramante's nymphaeum Colonna at Genazzano

Today, new computer techniques are increasingly employed in archaeology. Such techniques, organised according to a proper pipeline, allow a fuller knowledge of archaeological assets. In the study of the Nympheum Colonna at Genazzano, attributed to Bramante, an integrated approach to technologies like photogrammetric survey, 3D modelling, virtual tour and 3D printing, enables a scale reproduction of the image of the Nymphaeum at the beginning of the 16th century. First, data are acquired through a total station; the second phase consists of georeferenced photo shoots to obtain bitmap textures that can be subsequently used in modelling and rendering as a complement to three-dimensional data. During the final step, the virtual model is transformed into a prototype by means of 3D printing. Such methodology increases the ‘empathetic dimension’ with the archaeological asset, making it more enjoyable and better perceived both in its current state and as a historical reconstruction.