michela cigola | University of Cassino and Southern Latium (original) (raw)

Papers by michela cigola

Cassino è stata interamente rasa al suolo nella II Guerra mondiale e nella sua ricostruzione/nuov... more Cassino è stata interamente rasa al suolo nella II Guerra mondiale e nella sua ricostruzione/nuova edificazione ha perso le regole e le strutturazioni spaziali che ne avevano connotato il tessuto urbano. Questo libro intende individuare gli strumenti per ricostruire il continuum storico per cui presente e futuro formano un consecutivo sviluppo di eventi. Il punto di partenza è stato l’individuazione di un termine post quem che fungesse da ponte tra un passato non più tangibile e un presente da comprendere. Questo termine corrisponde con l’evento tragico che ha generato questa cesura, questo taglio del fluire temporale: paradossalmente è il ricordo di questo evento a restituire alla comunità, sia pure in modo vago e non completamente cosciente e comprensibile, la percezione di appartenenza al luogo. Il ricordo dell’evento infatti si ravviva continuamente nell’osservazione degli edifici della ricostruzione, in un tessuto urbano che ha preso il posto del tessuto storico, conformato in ...

The contribution schematically analyzes themes and graphic codes related to the cartographic repr... more The contribution schematically analyzes themes and graphic codes related to the cartographic representation, in a period between twelfth and sixteenth centuries. Significant examples of Maps, Nautical charts, Atlases and Globes are examined, highlighting some characteristic aspects, connected to the figuration of fortified and non-fortified cities. In cartography the period considered is extremely significant. Because there is the passage from a predominantly symbolic representation of the world to a "modern" evolution of maps, based on direct observations using measuring instruments.

Molti architetti e storici dell’architettura fin dal Rinascimento si sono recati nell’abbazia di ... more Molti architetti e storici dell’architettura fin dal Rinascimento si sono recati nell’abbazia di Montecassino per studiare quello che per secoli è stato uno dei monumenti più importanti dell’architettura europea. Del loro passaggio sono rimaste varie testimonianze, tra cui disegni di rilievo e talvolta di progetto, preziosi per approfondire e chiarificare le vicende storiche ed architettoniche del grande monumento benedettino. Tra gli altri, anche Antonio e Battista da Sangallo tra il 1507 ed il 1512 si recarono più volte a Montecassino per eseguire la tomba di Piero de’ Medici, fratello di Leone X e zio dell’allora regnante papa Clemente VII, morto nel 1503 nella battaglia alla foce del Garigliano e sepolto provvisoriamente nella basilica abbaziale. Di questo soggiorno ci rimangono alcune testimonianze grafiche di rilievo e di progetto che costituiscono una guida sicura per ricostruire idealmente la continuità della storia architettonica del monastero, poiché sono certamente anteriori al grande periodo di ricostruzione dell’abbazia, avvenuta tra il 1500 ed il 1600, che determinerà la scomparsa dell’impianto medievale. In questo articolo intendiamo però porre l’attenzione sui contributi di due grandi studiosi del XX secolo: Gustavo Giovannoni e Guglielmo De Angelis D’Ossat, il cui apporto è stato fondamentale per la storia dell’architettura di Montecassino

RECENSIONE del volume: L’Architettura delle idee. La Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn di Napoli, di... more RECENSIONE del volume: L’Architettura delle idee. La Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn di Napoli, di R. Florio sulla rivista Disegnare. Idee, immagini anno XXVIII n. 53/2016; p. 90. ISBN 978-88-492-1547-2 issn it 1123-9247

SCIRES-IT : SCIentific RESearch and Information Technology, 2020

Focuses of this article are Open Access and Evaluation. These two topics seem to be against eac... more Focuses of this article are Open Access and Evaluation. These two topics seem to be against each other or, at best, disagree. We'll try to prove that open access and research evaluation are destined to a close collaboration.

En Aim of this article is the role played by Sabatino de Ursis and by some other missionaries of ... more En Aim of this article is the role played by Sabatino de Ursis and by some other missionaries of the Society of Jesus in the knowledge and diffusion of the European scientific and mechanical culture in China in the seventeenth Century. It L'articolo si propone di approfondire il ruolo svolto da Sabatino de Ursis e da alcuni altri missionari della Compagnia di Gesu nella conoscenza e diffusione della cultura scientifica e meccanica europea nella Cina del XVII secolo.

SCIRES-IT : SCIentific RESearch and Information Technology, 2020

This issue of SCIRES-IT contains various and interesting articles in support of the documentation... more This issue of SCIRES-IT contains various and interesting articles in support of the documentation, preservation and fruition of the Cultural and Environmental Heritage. It is dedicated to Professor Andrea Brogi, visual & interaction design architect, who was a member of the Editorial Board of the SCIRES-IT and who recently passed away.

SCIRES-IT. SCIentific RESearch and Information Technology. (8), 2, 2018. COVER

Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, 2012

In this work a study of feasibility is illustrated to design and build a mobile robot for inspect... more In this work a study of feasibility is illustrated to design and build a mobile robot for inspection and analysis of historical sites of architectonic interest. This novel application for robotic systems can be considered of great interest because nowadays the need of more and more accurate and efficient survey activity requires enhancement and even development of procedures with more reliable, innovative, and advanced characteristics. Within this expectation robots and robotic systems seem to be suitable solutions even with the purposes of: operating in environments that cannot be reached by human operators. The study of feasibility concerns with the analysis and simulation of a robotic system that can be used for operating in historical sites. Basic features of such mobile robots, either legged or wheeled, are well known, but specific requirements should be considered for the proposed applications in archaeological/architectural sites, which can be considered as a novelty in the field of Robotics. Basic features of the proposed robotic system can be summarized as follows: the robot should be able to move inside the archaeological and/or architectural sites by carrying surveying devices and by avoiding damage of the surface and other parts of the site.

the study presents a project aimed at the knowledge and enhancement of minor historical centers, ... more the study presents a project aimed at the knowledge and enhancement of minor historical centers, based on a scientific survey integrated system, developed with typical gamification procedures. The implemented methodology, experimented in the small and ancient historical center of the Municipality of Atina in Lower Lazio, exploits the potential of acquisition structure from motion. Basic elements of the system, developed by the research group, are the HeGo App, the user/player interface, and the “Totem/Target” (national patent object) strategically placed in fixed positions within the urban fabric, which will allow a restitution of the scientifically validated context. Therefore the expected direct involvement of tourists/users in the image acquisition process, with a view to gamification, proposes an innovative and user-friendly procedure in the articulated use of new information technologies, stimulating knowledge and enhancement of sites.

Questo contributo si concentra sulle rovine della città romana di Cassino, nel Lazio meridionale,... more Questo contributo si concentra sulle rovine della città romana di Cassino, nel Lazio meridionale, in Italia, a testimonianza del suo passato rimane una significativa area archeologica. Il Complesso archeologico, nonostante l'interesse per i suoi monumenti, manca ancora di un'indagine strutturata che analizzi l'area nel suo complesso, integrando eventi individuali ed emergenze con il contesto. L'approccio metodologico di questo lavoro svilupperà e approfondirà l'analisi e la conoscenza di alcuni monumenti attraverso un rilevamento integrato del sito, con l'obiettivo di valorizzare un paesaggio complesso tra un contesto urbano e archeologico.This contribution focuses on the ruins of the Roman town of Casinum, in southern Lazio, Italy, of whose past remains a significant archaeological area. The Archaeological Complex, despite the interest in its monuments, still lacks a structured survey that analyses the area as a whole, integrating individual events and emerg...

Handbook of Cultural Heritage Analysis

Digital Modernism Heritage Lexicon, 2021

Lexicon is the ensemble of words and elements that either make up a language or a part of it, or ... more Lexicon is the ensemble of words and elements that either make up a language or a part of it, or the language used by an author. It is the sum total of the knowledge of a community or individual and expresses their work of conceptual creation. Lexicology is the study of the structure and history of the lexicon. Finally, comparative lexicology is a branch of linguistics which, based on a certain idea, examines the ways in which it has been expressed in several languages. This article will focus on a study of how Le Corbusier's lexicon was expressed in Argentina.

HeritageBot is a project on technological and market development of robotic patents for cultural ... more HeritageBot is a project on technological and market development of robotic patents for cultural heritage (mainly archaeological and architectural) and the development of services for operational applications (industrial, cultural, educational, etc.) of the identified technological solutions. The article focuses on hexapods robot designed to be applied to the analysis of architecture. The robot must perform many of the operations needed in Architectural survey through automated manoeuvres. These manoeuvres could improve procedures and results, both in terms of speed and accuracy of execution. An interdisciplinary research group of the University of Cassino has been working designing two robots. The group built two prototypes. Currently we are developing validation test and solutions tests for general background and specific cases.

The treatise “De Architectura” by Vitruvius is composed of ten Books. In particular Book IX intro... more The treatise “De Architectura” by Vitruvius is composed of ten Books. In particular Book IX introduces the Gnonomics and outlines the variety and composition of clocks including considerations on Geometry and Astronomy. Part of Book IX is dedicated to the explanation of the “analemma” a diagram showing the various position of the sun during a year. This article focuses on study and comparison of Analemma drawings in some Vitruvius Edition from 1511 to 1673. The attention is addressed to the editions by Frà Giocondo (1511), Cesare Cesariano (1521), Francesco Luci or Luzi said Durantino (1524), Daniele Barbaro (1584) Walter Hermann Ryff (1575), Miguel de Urrea (1582).

The Italian territory is characterized by an extremely high number of Cultural goods. Knowledge a... more The Italian territory is characterized by an extremely high number of Cultural goods. Knowledge and measurement of many of these Cultural Heritage is extremely difficult in relation to the complexity of surveys through traditional methodologies. The contribution proposes an original approach to the knowledge and measurement of Cultural Heritage based on a social approach, transforming the user as an actor of the procedures for the acquisition of raw data. The Heritage Go (HeGo) project is the platform for data acquisition and processing. The contribution, in addition to a description of the project, describes the first experiments focusing on the metric quality of the models obtained with SfM methodologies from raw data acquired by users.

This essay gathers together information about various representations from the sixteenth to eight... more This essay gathers together information about various representations from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries relating to the city of San Germano and its "State", a small but significant geographic area in present day southern Lazio, in an attempt to outline the evolutionary processes that have characterised the way it has beendrawn. The map material collected is currently being catalogued and reproduced and forms the basis of a digital archive that can be accessed online, structured according to thematic paths on the representation of the cities in of the upper province of Terra di Lavoro.

The fortress of Gaeta had a considerable strategic importance in Southern Italy. It was also the ... more The fortress of Gaeta had a considerable strategic importance in Southern Italy. It was also the center of numerous historical events. For these reasons it was represented by a multiplicity of different types of cartographic and iconographic representations over the centuries. The representations of Gaeta and his fortress can be grouped into two large categories. One concerns views of the fortress as a part of the city of Gaeta, from a landscape perspective; the other concerns the description of military events. The vast series of "war representations" between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is particularly interesting. During this period Gaeta was besieged several times, culminating in its capitulation in 1861. After this date, the city became part of the Kingdom of Italy, leaving the Neapolitan dominion of the Bourbons. This contribution focuses on representations from the 1700s and 1800s, analysing and highlighting the differences in the representations of attack and defence, which at times are quite profound. In fact, maps of the city of Gaeta and its fortress developed in the same period are extremely different depending on whether they are representing a siege strategy or if their purpose is to map out the strenuous defence of acquired positions. - La fortezza di Gaeta ha avuto una notevole importanza strategica nella storia dell’Italia Meridionale ed è stata protagonista di molteplici vicende storiche. Questa centralità trova riscontro in una multiforme tipologia di rappresentazioni. Queste, oltre alle riproduzioni tipicamente cartografiche, possono essere raggruppate in due grosse classi, seppur con una varia articolazione interna: una riguarda la fortezza come parte della città di Gaeta e del suo Golfo secondo un canone propriamente paesaggistico; l’altra riguarda la descrizione di particolari eventi militari. Particolarmente interessante è la vasta serie di “rappresentazioni di guerra” tra il XVIII e il XIX secolo, periodo in cui Gaeta fu più volte assediata e che culminerà con la sua capitolazione nel 1861. Dopo questa data la città passò definitivamente dal dominio dei Borboni di Napoli al Regno d’Italia. Questo contributo si focalizza sulle rappresentazioni del 700 e 800, analizzando ed evidenziando le differenze a volte profonde nelle rappresentazioni di attacco e di difesa. Infatti cartografie della città di Gaeta e della sua fortezza elaborate nello stesso periodo, risultano estremamente differenti se rappresentano una strategia di assedio e di attacco o se il loro fine è quello della strenua difesa di posizioni acquisite.

“Castrum, quod Casinum dicitur, in excelsi montis latera situm est", this is the Cassino... more “Castrum, quod Casinum dicitur, in excelsi montis latera situm est", this is the Cassino description made by pope Gregory I in his “Dialoghi” (Greg. Magn. Dialog. II 2). Dante Alighieri takes up literally this description in his Divine Comedy “The mountain on whose slope Cassino lies”(Heaven XXII 37). The contribution focuses on the ruins of the Roman town of Casinum, flourishing in the late Republic and then in the Imperial age. Remains of this past are parts of the via Latina, the amphitheater and the tomb of Ummidia Quadratilla. This Archaeological Park is not yet fully analyzed and surveyed. Recently in the park were made interesting discoveries relating to parts of a Roman villa of the Imperial age which deserve serious study. The methodological approach starts from the description of places through historical iconography. The second step will be the survey with traditional techniques and with Laser scanner and APR systems.

Cassino è stata interamente rasa al suolo nella II Guerra mondiale e nella sua ricostruzione/nuov... more Cassino è stata interamente rasa al suolo nella II Guerra mondiale e nella sua ricostruzione/nuova edificazione ha perso le regole e le strutturazioni spaziali che ne avevano connotato il tessuto urbano. Questo libro intende individuare gli strumenti per ricostruire il continuum storico per cui presente e futuro formano un consecutivo sviluppo di eventi. Il punto di partenza è stato l’individuazione di un termine post quem che fungesse da ponte tra un passato non più tangibile e un presente da comprendere. Questo termine corrisponde con l’evento tragico che ha generato questa cesura, questo taglio del fluire temporale: paradossalmente è il ricordo di questo evento a restituire alla comunità, sia pure in modo vago e non completamente cosciente e comprensibile, la percezione di appartenenza al luogo. Il ricordo dell’evento infatti si ravviva continuamente nell’osservazione degli edifici della ricostruzione, in un tessuto urbano che ha preso il posto del tessuto storico, conformato in ...

The contribution schematically analyzes themes and graphic codes related to the cartographic repr... more The contribution schematically analyzes themes and graphic codes related to the cartographic representation, in a period between twelfth and sixteenth centuries. Significant examples of Maps, Nautical charts, Atlases and Globes are examined, highlighting some characteristic aspects, connected to the figuration of fortified and non-fortified cities. In cartography the period considered is extremely significant. Because there is the passage from a predominantly symbolic representation of the world to a "modern" evolution of maps, based on direct observations using measuring instruments.

Molti architetti e storici dell’architettura fin dal Rinascimento si sono recati nell’abbazia di ... more Molti architetti e storici dell’architettura fin dal Rinascimento si sono recati nell’abbazia di Montecassino per studiare quello che per secoli è stato uno dei monumenti più importanti dell’architettura europea. Del loro passaggio sono rimaste varie testimonianze, tra cui disegni di rilievo e talvolta di progetto, preziosi per approfondire e chiarificare le vicende storiche ed architettoniche del grande monumento benedettino. Tra gli altri, anche Antonio e Battista da Sangallo tra il 1507 ed il 1512 si recarono più volte a Montecassino per eseguire la tomba di Piero de’ Medici, fratello di Leone X e zio dell’allora regnante papa Clemente VII, morto nel 1503 nella battaglia alla foce del Garigliano e sepolto provvisoriamente nella basilica abbaziale. Di questo soggiorno ci rimangono alcune testimonianze grafiche di rilievo e di progetto che costituiscono una guida sicura per ricostruire idealmente la continuità della storia architettonica del monastero, poiché sono certamente anteriori al grande periodo di ricostruzione dell’abbazia, avvenuta tra il 1500 ed il 1600, che determinerà la scomparsa dell’impianto medievale. In questo articolo intendiamo però porre l’attenzione sui contributi di due grandi studiosi del XX secolo: Gustavo Giovannoni e Guglielmo De Angelis D’Ossat, il cui apporto è stato fondamentale per la storia dell’architettura di Montecassino

RECENSIONE del volume: L’Architettura delle idee. La Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn di Napoli, di... more RECENSIONE del volume: L’Architettura delle idee. La Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn di Napoli, di R. Florio sulla rivista Disegnare. Idee, immagini anno XXVIII n. 53/2016; p. 90. ISBN 978-88-492-1547-2 issn it 1123-9247

SCIRES-IT : SCIentific RESearch and Information Technology, 2020

Focuses of this article are Open Access and Evaluation. These two topics seem to be against eac... more Focuses of this article are Open Access and Evaluation. These two topics seem to be against each other or, at best, disagree. We'll try to prove that open access and research evaluation are destined to a close collaboration.

En Aim of this article is the role played by Sabatino de Ursis and by some other missionaries of ... more En Aim of this article is the role played by Sabatino de Ursis and by some other missionaries of the Society of Jesus in the knowledge and diffusion of the European scientific and mechanical culture in China in the seventeenth Century. It L'articolo si propone di approfondire il ruolo svolto da Sabatino de Ursis e da alcuni altri missionari della Compagnia di Gesu nella conoscenza e diffusione della cultura scientifica e meccanica europea nella Cina del XVII secolo.

SCIRES-IT : SCIentific RESearch and Information Technology, 2020

This issue of SCIRES-IT contains various and interesting articles in support of the documentation... more This issue of SCIRES-IT contains various and interesting articles in support of the documentation, preservation and fruition of the Cultural and Environmental Heritage. It is dedicated to Professor Andrea Brogi, visual & interaction design architect, who was a member of the Editorial Board of the SCIRES-IT and who recently passed away.

SCIRES-IT. SCIentific RESearch and Information Technology. (8), 2, 2018. COVER

Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, 2012

In this work a study of feasibility is illustrated to design and build a mobile robot for inspect... more In this work a study of feasibility is illustrated to design and build a mobile robot for inspection and analysis of historical sites of architectonic interest. This novel application for robotic systems can be considered of great interest because nowadays the need of more and more accurate and efficient survey activity requires enhancement and even development of procedures with more reliable, innovative, and advanced characteristics. Within this expectation robots and robotic systems seem to be suitable solutions even with the purposes of: operating in environments that cannot be reached by human operators. The study of feasibility concerns with the analysis and simulation of a robotic system that can be used for operating in historical sites. Basic features of such mobile robots, either legged or wheeled, are well known, but specific requirements should be considered for the proposed applications in archaeological/architectural sites, which can be considered as a novelty in the field of Robotics. Basic features of the proposed robotic system can be summarized as follows: the robot should be able to move inside the archaeological and/or architectural sites by carrying surveying devices and by avoiding damage of the surface and other parts of the site.

the study presents a project aimed at the knowledge and enhancement of minor historical centers, ... more the study presents a project aimed at the knowledge and enhancement of minor historical centers, based on a scientific survey integrated system, developed with typical gamification procedures. The implemented methodology, experimented in the small and ancient historical center of the Municipality of Atina in Lower Lazio, exploits the potential of acquisition structure from motion. Basic elements of the system, developed by the research group, are the HeGo App, the user/player interface, and the “Totem/Target” (national patent object) strategically placed in fixed positions within the urban fabric, which will allow a restitution of the scientifically validated context. Therefore the expected direct involvement of tourists/users in the image acquisition process, with a view to gamification, proposes an innovative and user-friendly procedure in the articulated use of new information technologies, stimulating knowledge and enhancement of sites.

Questo contributo si concentra sulle rovine della città romana di Cassino, nel Lazio meridionale,... more Questo contributo si concentra sulle rovine della città romana di Cassino, nel Lazio meridionale, in Italia, a testimonianza del suo passato rimane una significativa area archeologica. Il Complesso archeologico, nonostante l'interesse per i suoi monumenti, manca ancora di un'indagine strutturata che analizzi l'area nel suo complesso, integrando eventi individuali ed emergenze con il contesto. L'approccio metodologico di questo lavoro svilupperà e approfondirà l'analisi e la conoscenza di alcuni monumenti attraverso un rilevamento integrato del sito, con l'obiettivo di valorizzare un paesaggio complesso tra un contesto urbano e archeologico.This contribution focuses on the ruins of the Roman town of Casinum, in southern Lazio, Italy, of whose past remains a significant archaeological area. The Archaeological Complex, despite the interest in its monuments, still lacks a structured survey that analyses the area as a whole, integrating individual events and emerg...

Handbook of Cultural Heritage Analysis

Digital Modernism Heritage Lexicon, 2021

Lexicon is the ensemble of words and elements that either make up a language or a part of it, or ... more Lexicon is the ensemble of words and elements that either make up a language or a part of it, or the language used by an author. It is the sum total of the knowledge of a community or individual and expresses their work of conceptual creation. Lexicology is the study of the structure and history of the lexicon. Finally, comparative lexicology is a branch of linguistics which, based on a certain idea, examines the ways in which it has been expressed in several languages. This article will focus on a study of how Le Corbusier's lexicon was expressed in Argentina.

HeritageBot is a project on technological and market development of robotic patents for cultural ... more HeritageBot is a project on technological and market development of robotic patents for cultural heritage (mainly archaeological and architectural) and the development of services for operational applications (industrial, cultural, educational, etc.) of the identified technological solutions. The article focuses on hexapods robot designed to be applied to the analysis of architecture. The robot must perform many of the operations needed in Architectural survey through automated manoeuvres. These manoeuvres could improve procedures and results, both in terms of speed and accuracy of execution. An interdisciplinary research group of the University of Cassino has been working designing two robots. The group built two prototypes. Currently we are developing validation test and solutions tests for general background and specific cases.

The treatise “De Architectura” by Vitruvius is composed of ten Books. In particular Book IX intro... more The treatise “De Architectura” by Vitruvius is composed of ten Books. In particular Book IX introduces the Gnonomics and outlines the variety and composition of clocks including considerations on Geometry and Astronomy. Part of Book IX is dedicated to the explanation of the “analemma” a diagram showing the various position of the sun during a year. This article focuses on study and comparison of Analemma drawings in some Vitruvius Edition from 1511 to 1673. The attention is addressed to the editions by Frà Giocondo (1511), Cesare Cesariano (1521), Francesco Luci or Luzi said Durantino (1524), Daniele Barbaro (1584) Walter Hermann Ryff (1575), Miguel de Urrea (1582).

The Italian territory is characterized by an extremely high number of Cultural goods. Knowledge a... more The Italian territory is characterized by an extremely high number of Cultural goods. Knowledge and measurement of many of these Cultural Heritage is extremely difficult in relation to the complexity of surveys through traditional methodologies. The contribution proposes an original approach to the knowledge and measurement of Cultural Heritage based on a social approach, transforming the user as an actor of the procedures for the acquisition of raw data. The Heritage Go (HeGo) project is the platform for data acquisition and processing. The contribution, in addition to a description of the project, describes the first experiments focusing on the metric quality of the models obtained with SfM methodologies from raw data acquired by users.

This essay gathers together information about various representations from the sixteenth to eight... more This essay gathers together information about various representations from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries relating to the city of San Germano and its "State", a small but significant geographic area in present day southern Lazio, in an attempt to outline the evolutionary processes that have characterised the way it has beendrawn. The map material collected is currently being catalogued and reproduced and forms the basis of a digital archive that can be accessed online, structured according to thematic paths on the representation of the cities in of the upper province of Terra di Lavoro.

The fortress of Gaeta had a considerable strategic importance in Southern Italy. It was also the ... more The fortress of Gaeta had a considerable strategic importance in Southern Italy. It was also the center of numerous historical events. For these reasons it was represented by a multiplicity of different types of cartographic and iconographic representations over the centuries. The representations of Gaeta and his fortress can be grouped into two large categories. One concerns views of the fortress as a part of the city of Gaeta, from a landscape perspective; the other concerns the description of military events. The vast series of "war representations" between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is particularly interesting. During this period Gaeta was besieged several times, culminating in its capitulation in 1861. After this date, the city became part of the Kingdom of Italy, leaving the Neapolitan dominion of the Bourbons. This contribution focuses on representations from the 1700s and 1800s, analysing and highlighting the differences in the representations of attack and defence, which at times are quite profound. In fact, maps of the city of Gaeta and its fortress developed in the same period are extremely different depending on whether they are representing a siege strategy or if their purpose is to map out the strenuous defence of acquired positions. - La fortezza di Gaeta ha avuto una notevole importanza strategica nella storia dell’Italia Meridionale ed è stata protagonista di molteplici vicende storiche. Questa centralità trova riscontro in una multiforme tipologia di rappresentazioni. Queste, oltre alle riproduzioni tipicamente cartografiche, possono essere raggruppate in due grosse classi, seppur con una varia articolazione interna: una riguarda la fortezza come parte della città di Gaeta e del suo Golfo secondo un canone propriamente paesaggistico; l’altra riguarda la descrizione di particolari eventi militari. Particolarmente interessante è la vasta serie di “rappresentazioni di guerra” tra il XVIII e il XIX secolo, periodo in cui Gaeta fu più volte assediata e che culminerà con la sua capitolazione nel 1861. Dopo questa data la città passò definitivamente dal dominio dei Borboni di Napoli al Regno d’Italia. Questo contributo si focalizza sulle rappresentazioni del 700 e 800, analizzando ed evidenziando le differenze a volte profonde nelle rappresentazioni di attacco e di difesa. Infatti cartografie della città di Gaeta e della sua fortezza elaborate nello stesso periodo, risultano estremamente differenti se rappresentano una strategia di assedio e di attacco o se il loro fine è quello della strenua difesa di posizioni acquisite.

“Castrum, quod Casinum dicitur, in excelsi montis latera situm est", this is the Cassino... more “Castrum, quod Casinum dicitur, in excelsi montis latera situm est", this is the Cassino description made by pope Gregory I in his “Dialoghi” (Greg. Magn. Dialog. II 2). Dante Alighieri takes up literally this description in his Divine Comedy “The mountain on whose slope Cassino lies”(Heaven XXII 37). The contribution focuses on the ruins of the Roman town of Casinum, flourishing in the late Republic and then in the Imperial age. Remains of this past are parts of the via Latina, the amphitheater and the tomb of Ummidia Quadratilla. This Archaeological Park is not yet fully analyzed and surveyed. Recently in the park were made interesting discoveries relating to parts of a Roman villa of the Imperial age which deserve serious study. The methodological approach starts from the description of places through historical iconography. The second step will be the survey with traditional techniques and with Laser scanner and APR systems.