This study focuses on modeling the fourth dimension of historic architectures with an HBIM approach and special regard to stratigraphic analysis. The goal is to push the limits of current technology to understand the history of buildings, with impacts on protecting their authenticity; it is pursued with a practitioners-oriented methodology able to make aware models of their phases. The target audience are experts in the field of heritage conservation, while the outcome is to support long-term strategies for the sustainable management of heritage. Contents follow this structure: (1) Introduction: this section frames the benefits of affirming heritage’s physical authenticity and managing risks; it clarifies assumptions and the research aim; (2) State of the Art: this highlights the topic relevance, which is not yet fully resolved, focusing on semantics, critical-interpretative data control, and on the automation of some crucial results; (3) Materials and Methods: this describes the integrated workflow, including the photogrammetric acquisition, modeling, and data enrichment, the semi-automatic Harris matrix construction, and the optimization of laser data; (4) Results: this presents the results of modelling stratigraphic units, enriching them with information according to a semantics coherent with the conservation process, to govern the temporal relations while automating key outputs; (5) Discussion: this section refines the implemented solutions and introduce future works.

Today digital technologies offer great opportunities in the field of Cultural Heritage (CH). After a general overview of the European policy documents on CH digitisation, the paper aims to reflect on tools, procedures and methodologies in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a new way of visualization, application and data collection towards accessing, understanding and safeguarding our historic built environment. The focus will be on two ongoing H2020 projects, INCEPTION and ROCK, selected to address the problem of CH digitisation and the access to the corresponding digitized resources in relation to historic buildings and urban districts. Therefore, they are presented as inspiring good practices for tackling this issue considering its impacts both at the architectural and urban scale. Stressing the potentials of enabling technologies, such as 3D laser surveys, environment and climate sensors, large crowd monitoring tools and CH analytic, they are also able to orient future research beyond 2020.

Effective resource allocation for architectural heritage conservation requires reliable and up-to-date data to support proper decision-making. This paper proposes a novel methodology for the integration of reviews continuously generated by users with expert evaluations aimed at supporting decision-makers, which are based on periodic but infrequent site inspections and often fail to capture ongoing issues. This study utilises Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis (ABSA) to improve the monitoring and management of architectural heritage. By leveraging user-generated content from Google Maps, this approach allows the integration of dynamic, real-time feedback into conservation strategies, addressing current limitations. The methodology was applied to data concerning a sample of 70 heritage buildings in Italy’s Marche region, whose state of conservation has been catalogued by the Central Institute for Cataloguing and Documentation (ICCD). The analysis highlighted significant discrepancies between expert evaluation and user feedback. While official assessments often miss recent changes or emerging issues, the ABSA-based tool succeeded in capturing insights such as recent restoration interventions or unnoticed maintenance needs. This approach introduces a methodology for a more inclusive, data-driven decision-making process, allowing resource allocation to be more responsive to ongoing conditions. By integrating expert evaluations and public inputs, the proposed methodology allows the adoption of more comprehensive perspectives, detecting blind spots in traditional monitoring systems and enabling more efficient management of resources.

Purpose: This article discusses the role of the digital curator in cultural heritage, highlighting trends in training programs and best practices of museums in the digital age. It emphasizes the potential of geolocation in a Web Geographic Information System (Web-GIS) environment to enhance the accessibility and preservation of digitized museums. The analysis, conducted as part of the “DCbox – Digital Curator Mapping and Design” project, emphasizes the need for professionals specializing in digital cultural heritage and redefines the digital curator as a mediator between culture, technology and global audiences. Design/methodology/approach: The study explores the evolution of the curator’s role since 2000, examining opportunities and challenges of digital humanities and analyzing EU-funded projects and emerging trends. It focuses on the incorporation of digital technologies by museums through geolocated analysis, proposing a customized educational program for training professional digital curators. The conclusions and recommendations of the report are based on a thorough analysis of national situations and case studies from neighboring countries. Findings: The analysis of training programs and museum best practices led to the proposal of a customized educational program aimed at training professional digital curators. This program considers various multidisciplinary areas, blending specific topics and subjects to achieve a unique set of functional skills, encompassing both theoretical and practical aspects. Originality/value: The innovative aspect of this paper is the approach to geolocating digitized museums through a Web-based GIS, providing detailed informational profiles of various offerings, including augmented, virtual, mixed reality and virtual tours.