The medieval fortress of Catino (Poggio Catino, RI). Recent digital survey and new architectural interpretations

The analysis of the architectural palimpsest, the study of sources and archival research has been the cornerstones of the project involving the medieval fortress of Catino (Poggio Catino, RI). Through the application of a systematic method of investigation, the project proposed a novel model of historical and architectural reconstruction of the settlement, allowing clarity on one of the best-preserved and most scenic sites of the Sabina tiberina. Since the 9th century onward, the area appears to be firmly in the hands of the Abbey of Farfa, controlling the road junction that lead to the cave of San Michele Arcangelo in Monte Tancia, already recorded in ancient times as via ad cisternam.Through research and the study of ancient sources, it has been possible to recognize several passages of ownership, each of which involved the construction of infrastructures that developed around the first nucleus composed of the four-sided tower and religious building, of which a planimetric representation is proposed for the first time.28 m high, the main Catino pentagonal tower is presented as part of a specific defensive system. The tower has been the subject of a laser scanner and photogrammetric survey that aimed to return a updated graphic documentation. More than 50 scans were made between the exterior of the fortress and the interior of the tower. The latter returned very important information on the development and management of the spaces inside and made it possible to represent an updated plan of the entire monument.