Aerial Digital Photogrammetry and Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Reconstruction Hypothesis of Monumental Building Lost Façades: The Case of Villa Mondragone

The analysis of an architecture characterized by geometrical, functional and historical complexity, requires the fundamental and crucial acquisition of metrics data, iconographic e and archival documents, followed by a correct comparison and interpretation of the collected information. The scope of this process is to give a precise critical interpretation of the building - or some of its specific areas - as close as possible to reality and such as to allow a reliable reconstruction of those aspects of it that got possibly lost over time. In the specific case, this approach wants to offer a vital support to the study of those aspects of the monumental architec-ture that have been heavily altered by inappropriate interventions. In this paper, the methodological process is relating to a quite large number of interventions on Villa Mondragone in Monte Porzio Catone (Rome), the largest among the princely houses of the Tuscolan Complex. The task, here, is to get an accurate reconstruc-tion of the facades facing towards the so called Piazzale Maggiore, a large inner courtyard of the vast com-plex and it will focus in particularly on the latest large process of transformation, started nearly a century ago. For this reason, we based our study on bibliographical sources, on recent years’ historical data researches and on the analysis of the ample iconographic documentation, as well as on surveys of the state of fact by using different techniques. A considerable support to the research came from the use of the new survey technolo-gies, which the main object of this article. These technologies have been managed in an integrated manner on the areas of interest. They have helped to obtain considerably accurate surveys and such as to guarantee a highdegree of reliability to the reconstructive hypotheses subsequently processed. On one hand, the survey has relied on the capabilities of the laser-scanner, and of the other hand on the aerial photogrammetry with operations done with different types of UAV (Unmanned aerial vehicle) and digital cameras. A series of differ-ent reasons required the use of various tools for indirect survey, as shown in the text. The most important one is due to the relevant dimensional characteristics of the building and the surrounding context. This work is part of a broader line of research on the Ville Tuscolane and here it mainly refers to the applications of the most advanced systems for surveying and modeling of monumental architecture of historical interest. It has provid-ed interesting food for thought and technological and methodological comparison on the theme of philologi-cal reconstruction of the lost internal fronts of Piazzale Maggiore of Villa Mondragone. This was possible thanks to some similar elements on the facade facing the outside of the Manica Lunga (the longest eastern side of of the building enclosing the court) emerged during the surveys of this front.