The overall objective was to analyse and reconstruct the original lighting arrangements and illumination design processes of selected buildings in Hadrian’s Villa and, through them, to consolidate a research field on lighting in Roman architecture. The work addressed three main problems: the difficulty of visualising incomplete archaeological elevations; the absence of systematic studies on ancient lighting design; and the need for evidence-based tools for heritage interpretation and management. In the European context, the action aligned with strategies on cultural heritage and digital transformation, demonstrating how advanced technologies and humanities-based approaches can renew our understanding of the past and support informed conservation and tourism policies.
Social sciences and humanities were central to the project. Archaeology provided the stratigraphic and contextual framework; architectural history guided the reconstruction of space and form; history of science informed the reading of lighting devices and ancient optical knowledge; and heritage studies framed the implications for visitor experience and local communities. These perspectives were complemented by digital humanities, lighting engineering and IT-based visualisation.
The pathway to impact unfolded on three levels. Scientifically, the project developed a transferable methodology for analysing light in ancient architecture, integrating textual, material and digital evidence. At the heritage level, it produced surveys, 3D models and luminous reconstructions that can be used by site managers for monitoring, conservation and on-site or online interpretation. Societally, it contributed to changing how visitors and citizens perceive Hadrian’s Villa and Roman architecture, fostering a more experiential understanding of antiquity. The impacts are local – with direct benefits for the management and attractiveness of Hadrian’s Villa – and European, by placing the EU research area in an emerging field of heritage-based research and digital innovation.
The research activities revolved around some case studies representing different functions within the villa: triclinia halls for banqueting and representation and Baths complexes. Work began with a review of the state of the art on Hadrian’s Villa, Roman lighting technologies, materials affecting luminous behaviour, and textual and iconographic sources on light and visual comfort. This phase produced a critical reassessment of existing interpretations and identified specific questions for the subsequent steps.
The second line of work consisted of advanced on-site surveys. Using a suite of instruments acquired by UPO – including laser scanner, drones and GPS – the project produced high-resolution point clouds, orthophotos and video documentation of the case studies. These data were processed into two-dimensional drawings. The surveys and the catalogue of lighting-related elements (openings, windows, porches, wall thicknesses, reflective surfaces, etc.) formed the technical backbone of the research.
On this basis, the project developed three-dimensional reconstructive hypotheses of the elevations of the selected buildings, with attention to roof solutions, window and door configurations and interior decorative schemes. The models were tested and refined through consultations with archaeologists, architects and historians of science. They were then imported into specialist software to simulate natural and artificial lighting scenarios.
The main scientific achievements are: the identification of recurrent design patterns in the positioning and sizing of openings, revealing a deliberate strategy to modulate light according to function and hierarchy; the demonstration that in the Baths light was not only a visual factor but also an active component in thermal regulation; and a set of digital models, drawings and datasets that document the case studies in detail and provide a workflow for future research.
