Ricerc@Sapienza

The colonnade of the Salamis Gymnasium was excavated in 1890 (Arthur, Munro & Tubbs, 1891) and interpreted as part of a Temple of Zeus. The area was recognized as a thermal complex following new excavations in 1925 [9], which therein uncovered partially three vaulted aulae. The building is a stratified palimpsest, reconstructed over the ruins of several earthquakes. First built during the rule of Augustus, archaeologists have dated one phase of the complex to the principate of Trajan 98-117 AD [25]. Others agree on dating the thermal buildings to the II century [9].

Deterioration mapping of façades may be a challenging task in historical urban contexts, often characterized by narrow streets and tall buildings. In these situations, the application of Terrestrial Laser Scanning or Terrestrial Photogrammetry does not provide satisfactory results. Furthermore, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, the so-called “drones”, is generally forbidden in crowded places for safety reasons unless they are lighter than a weight imposed by the regulations in force in each country.

The goal of this paper is to focus on multi-image monoscopic digital photogrammetry, illustrating several types of applications used in a single case study chosen for its unique characteristics: Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo in the main square in the old town centre of Ascoli Piceno.

This study, focused on the Archaeological Park of Centocelle, was carried out to test the functionality of different geomatic products for the identification and monitoring of complex archaeological evidences in urban areas. The method proposes a better knowledge of the archaeological context as a tool to favour a better protection, allowing the establishment of limits to urban enlargement in areas of respect. The test area is chosen because of the combined presence of hypogeal evidences related to Roman and pre-Roman