Augmented Reality applied to the archaeological site. The case study in Palazzo Baldini, Florence

Scientific research and technologies available on the market allow to deliver a better control of the information linked to 3D models of cultural heritage items. The technologies of game engines allow to manage complex 3D models on mobile supports, along with the possibility to navigate the space virtually. In this way, cultural heritage can reacquire a third dimension that is lost in traditional printed reproductions. This presents numerous advantages, e.g. for the survey of archaeological sites that must be dismantled in order to proceed with restoration projects. The study presented in this paper focuses on the possibilities of displaying three-dimensional models with augmented reality technology. An excavation carried out in a Florentine palace, detected with the techniques of Structure From Motion, is presented as a case study. During the excavation, layers of different construction phases of the building emerged. In order to keep the memory of historical information in all its complexity, a mobile APP was created, offering the possibility to see the three-dimensional model with a smartphone framing a picture on a brochure in order to deliver the experience of the findings and of the original morphology of the building phases. In order to explain the archaeological excavation in detail the model is enriched with texts and images.