Mapping an Information Model for Historic Built Heritage into the IndoorGML Standard: The Case of the Pitti Palace

The paper explores the significance of digitalization and spatial modeling for the preservation and management of cultural heritage, addressing challenges posed by architectural complexity and extensive data volumes and developing a tailored data model to organize and integrate geometric, material, and historical information. The case study of Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy, is proposed, considering that its architectural complexity and cultural significance require innovative approaches to documentation and management. The “Pitti Data Model” is proposed as a tailored information system to organize and manage the data. It classifies spaces by adopting a hierarchical approach that supports detailed spatial analysis and reflects the historical and functional diversity of the site. The model links geometric data with thematic data such as material types, state of conservation, and historical names of spaces, providing a multi-dimensional understanding of the building. Based on Getty’s Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT), a controlled vocabulary was employed to ensure semantic consistency and interoperability. This semantic enrichment facilitates the integration of geometric data with broader heritage information systems. The paper presents, therefore, the integration in existing standards like INSPIRE, CityGML, and IndoorGML, thus providing a data model supporting efficient querying and visualization in a GeoDB that integrates spatial and non-spatial data, supporting collaborative and sustainable heritage management by enabling advanced analyses such as visitor flow optimization and conservation planning. This aligns with the concept of Heritage Digital Twins (HDT), which are interactive, evolving representations of cultural assets. HDTs support collaborative and sustainable heritage management by enabling stakeholders to access, analyze, and update information in real time.