Being appealing to a wide audience, the cultural sector can supply several compelling forms of digital content suited for a diverse spectrum of uses, ranging from learning and entertainment to study of art history and cultural documentation. For this reason, the development of culture-related IT products and services has attracted the interest of a large number of companies worldwide. This is particularly true in Europe because of its immense repository of artistic treasures. RECOVER proposes to develop a system for the semi-automatic extraction of 3D models of scenes depicted in perspective paintings. 3D models of paintings constitute a new and exciting way for the general public to experience and appreciate fine art. The viewer can experience a feeling of immersion; paintings are no longer perceived as static artefacts from a long-gone past but as living, vibrant entities. According to the state-of-practice, fully manual reconstruction techniques based on the use of CAD tools are extremely tedious and time-consuming. RECOVER will capitalize on a vast body of research knowledge, in order to bridge the gap between state-of-the-art and state-of-practice in the construction of 3D models from 2D paintings. By doing so, the resources required for constructing such models will be drastically reduced, thus increasing the competitiveness of the companies commercialising the underlying technology. This will in turn facilitate the conception of novel applications and services that will increase revenue and create more jobs. Apart from the economical issues, RECOVER will also have important societal implications related to improved accessibility and visibility of European cultural resources.