Masonry and Pictorial Surfaces Study by Laser Diagnostics: The Case of the Diana’s House in Ostia Antica

The aim of the present research is to validate the combined use, through data fusion, of a Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) scanning system and a radar scanner (RGB-ITR, Red Green Blue Imaging Topological Radar system), as a unique tool to address the need for non-invasive, rapid, and low-cost techniques for both diagnostic and operational needs. The integrated system has been applied to the House of Diana complex in Ostia Antica. The main diagnostic objective of this research was to trace the materials used in different phases of restoration, from antiquity to modernity, on both masonry and pictorial surfaces, to reconstruct the history of the building. Due to the significant interest in this insula, other studies have been recently carried out on the House of Diana, but they once again highlighted the necessity of multiple approaches and non-invasive methods capable of providing quasi-real-time answers, delivering point-by-point information on very large surfaces to overcome the limits related to representativeness of sampling. The data acquired by the RGB-ITR system are quantitative, allowing for morphological and 3-colour analysis of the investigated artwork. In this work, the sensor has been used to create coloured 3D models useful for structural assessments and for locating different classes of materials. In fact, the LIF maps, which integrate knowledge about the original constituent materials and previous conservation interventions, have been used as additional layers of the tridimensional models. Therefore, the method can direct possible new investigations and restoration actions, piecing together the history of the House of Diana to build for it a safer future.