Image-based 3D modeling vs laser scanning for the analysis of medieval architecture: the case of St. Croce church in Bergamo

The Church of St. Croce in Bergamo (second half of the 11th century), is a small four-sided building consisting of two overlapping volumes located in the courtyard adjacent to the Bishop's Palace. In the last years, archaeological excavations have unearthed parts of the edifice, until that time hidden because buried during the construction of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and now restored its original form. Due to the recent discoveries, a critical review of all the existing documentation in order to clarify the relationship of the various building components has been considered necessary. A quick, well-timed, chromatically characterized and accurate survey aimed at the complete digital reconstruction of this interesting example of medieval Italian architecture was then needed. This has suggested simultaneously testing two of the most innovative technologies: the 3D laser scanning survey ensuring high-resolution and complete models within a short time, and the photogrammetric automatic image-based modelling, allowing a three-dimensional reconstruction of the architectural objects. This paper intends to show the results achieved by the analytical comparison between the two methodologies, and thus analyse their differences, the advantages and the deficiencies of both of them and the opportunities for future enhancements and developments.