Ontological definition of Information Classes for Early Modern fortified heritage

This study introduces an ontological framework specifically designed for the classification, management, and analysis of information related to Early Modern fortifications. The research begins with a critical examination of existing ontological systems, identifying four primary types: (1) codification of glossaries and terminologies to standardize definitions, (2) multiscalar relationships to link information across different levels of detail, (3) semantic segmentation to categorize data meaningfully, and (4) documentary organization to structure archival and historical sources. The study explores the application of these principles within Building Information Modeling (BIM) environments, leveraging internationally recognized standards such as IFC, UNICLASS, Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), and CIDOC CRM to establish a robust methodological foundation. The proposed ontology is tailored to the unique challenges of documenting and analysing. Early Modern fortified systems, addressing their complexity and multidisciplinary nature. The development process involved creating a structured WBS to decompose and classify fortification elements, organizing semantic data using Protégé, and integrating these resources into a web-based platform, INFORTREAT ONTOLOGY. This platform enables intuitive visualization and dynamic navigation of the ontological model, providing researchers and practitioners with a powerful tool for heritage analysis. By bridging theoretical and practical domains, this work offers a significant advancement in the digital documentation and preservation of Early Modern fortifications, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in the field of heritage informatics.