Documenting the State of Preservation of Historical Stone Sculptures in Three Dimensions with Digital Tools

Protection of stone heritage requires detailed records of the state-of-preservation to ensure accurate decision-making for conservation interventions. This short paper explores the topic of using digital tools to better visualize and map in three-dimensional (3D) representations the deterioration state of stone statues. Technical photography, geomatics techniques, and 3D visualization approaches are combined to propose reproducible and adaptable solutions that can support the investigation of historical materials' degradation. The short paper reports on the application of these multi-technique approaches regarding a bust sculpture from the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo (Italy).