Strategy for Integrated Surveying Techniques Finalized to Interpretive Models in a Byzantine Church, Mesopotam, Albania

The research is part of a larger project, within an international cooperation, supported by UNESCO, for the study, restoration, and revitalization of Byzantine and Ottoman monuments in Southern Albania. The project was carried out on the Saint Nicholas monastic complex located in the Mesopotam area (Albania) by a multidisciplinary group of researchers from different Italian universities. Using integrated surveying technologies, the diagnostic investigation focused on enhancing our knowledge of structural behavior as a qualifying element for future conservation and maintenance programs. The aim was to develop interpretive models able to connect thematic and geometric information to the history of the monument by reading and recognizing the constructive technologies that were employed. Hence, the term “surveying techniques” includes geometrical surveys by laser scanner and photogrammetry, stratigraphic analysis, crack pattern surveys, and crack monitoring. The study was carried out on the Church of Saint Nicholas in order to collect data on the morphological and structural problems of the building. The results show that the damage of the structure started long ago and was probably caused by earthquakes. Moreover, the continuous, slow, long-term outward movement of the facades and of the apse should be controlled by an appropriate design for strengthening and repair. At the same time, the methodology highlighted the need for investigating the different structural technologies and skills before planning interventions. With such a common geospatial semantic matrix, progressively developing toward a historical building information four-dimensional (4D)model, further surveys—using techniques ranging from the micro-UAV campaign to multispectral analysis—can be better oriented in the future.