The research lines regard to more territorial contexts – since 1989, Northern Italy; since 1996, Vesuvian region; since 2006, Greece too – through transdisciplinary and inter-universitary projects on culture of living spaces, use of imagines, archaeometry and archaeography (virtual reality and data management).
Overarching and peculiar theme is the contextual approach: attention on the relationship between spaces, decorations and objects, for researching the possible meaning for ancient users.
The main characteristics are the attention to the documentary (its goals are the full valorization of informative potential of primary sources, through the recovery, collection and archive material analysis) and continuous experimentation in the ICT (Information & Communication Technologies) applications sector for Cultural Heritage.
In the Vesuvian region the lines are integrated in a wider research and valorization programme – “Vesuviana” – that, in agreement with the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei, is carrying out the study and the valorization of important building complexes of Pompeii and Herculaneum since 1999.
1. Object of study are the cultures of living spaces in Cisalpina and in Vesuvian sites, with case study in Pompeii (Insulae IX 8 e IX 5), in Herculaneum (Insula III) and in Villa Sora (Torre del Greco).
2. The work in palimpsest-sites, difficult and multi-phased both in ancient and in modern times, has led to the birth of a research line completely dedicated to documentary archaeology. This innovative and not so much tested line has the goal of a full valorization of informative potential of primary sources (written and iconografic ones), through the recovery, collection and archive material analysis. On the basis of this line there is the belief that the digging on site must go hand-in-hand with digging in archives and deposits.
3. In Vesuvian ambit, the great conservation of wall painting, mosaic flooring, furnish and furnishings make possible study the artistic and social aspects of the communications thought images. The possibility of working on contests, even if not entire, at least richer than elsewhere, structured as synchronously – by decorative phases – as diachronically – by conservation phenomenos and selection inside the domus – make possible the development of a largely applicability methodological establishment and reach goals extensible to lack of quantitative data sites. In this way it’s possible make a useful confrontation repertory. Hand-by-hand with the research “by houses” there is the the photogrammetric survey and the graphic restitution of all paintings of Herculaneum and some thematic researches on the entire corpus of Vesuvian paintings. On the Herculaneum sample, the final goal is the realization of an Atlant of the decorative displays of Herculaneum, on photogrammetric basis.
4. The interest for integrated approach, archaeometric and archaeological, to the study of the ancient material evidence took shape under the Vesuviana project (1997-) and now is the main theme of the research project with the international collaboration (France, CNRS, ENS-Paris, Université de Toulouse; Spain, Universitat de Sevilla).
5. The virtual reconstruction of the studied buldings, expanded also to urban areas, developed with the collaboration of some of the most important application centres in this sector (CINECA, in primis), is a powerful tool amongst a number of aspects: the verification of reconstructive hypotheses, the perceptive situation reconstructure of the architectural shell, the outcome of the restoration, the divulgation and educational use. All these applications are realised by a meticolous methodological commitment, particulary useful to deal critically with the refrain dissermination of Virtual Archaeology.
Valorization of archaeological heritage side, the close relationship with the Soprintendenze allows to design, not only in theoric way, conservation and fruition of the researched complexes. For the domus del Centenario in Pompeii and other smaller houses of the block the Soprintendenza, since 2002, perceived the guide lines for the restoration and the valorization designed in our project, for the safety and the planning of restoration works. Also the Herculaneum project (shared with the National Archaeological Musem of Naples) and the Villa Sora one (promising experiment of public archaeology) have the same perspective.
