The 16th-Century Island of La Certosa in the Venice Lagoon: Digital Reconstruction and Photogrammetry Applied to Spatial Analysis of Lost Cultural Heritage Sites

This thesis explores the application of digital tools for 3D reconstruction – in particular 3D modelling and photogrammetry – for the spatial analysis of the Carthusian monastery of La Certosa in the 16th century, a lost cultural heritage site located in the Venetian lagoon. The Carthusian order was established in the Venice’s basin in the 15th century, replacing a former Augustinian community, and remained on the island until its suppression by Napoleon in the early 19th century. Nearly all its buildings were gradually dismantled and sold as second-hand construction materials, and today only part of the ancient lay cloister survives. As scholars have largely illustrated, the Carthusian order follows specific architectural rules in the design of its monasteries across Europe, reflecting its commitment to a life of prayer and solitude. Building on a newly conducted digital reconstruction, this study aims to interpret and illustrate the architectural solutions applied in the complex of La Certosa to demonstrate how they relate to the typical layout, functional areas, uses, and typologies of the Carthusian monastic buildings. It also highlights the monastery’s interaction with the surrounding environment, which is a key element of the importance and singularity of the site, considering its unique topography for a Carthusian monastery: the Venice lagoon. Through multiple scales of analysis and integration of written and iconographic sources, Historical Geographic Information System (HGIS) as well as modelling systems, this research presents a comprehensive methodology for the spatial analysis and reconstruction of historical sites no longer physically extant. In addition, photogrammetry surveying techniques have been employed to generate high-resolution 3D models of some remaining physical artifacts currently located at the Klosterhof Klein Glienicke in Berlin, aiming to shed light on their original architectural context. Furthermore, this digital reconstruction serves not only as a tool for academic inquiry but also aims to provide new insights into the architectural history of the Carthusian, with a special emphasis on the island as an experimental site. Additionally, it seeks to engage the public with the cultural heritage of La Certosa as part of the Venice lagoon.