New hypotheses and interpretations regarding the Longobard Basin in the “Jerusalem” of Bologna supported by 3D surveying methodologies

The monumental complex of Santo Stefano in Bologna preserves one of the most precious testimonies of the Lombard presence in the city, the so-called "Basin of Pilato", whose epigraph - dated to the Thirties of the VIII AD.- runs under the lip of the basin and has been the subject of centuries-old studies by historians. The conservative restoration carried out in 2017 on the same property and the fundamental aid of new technologies, have allowed to advance new interpretations on the inscription. The essay presents the results of the interdisciplinary research of a group of geomatics and historians from the University of Bologna who has concerned the history of the location of the basin, the interpretations that have followed since the XI Century and the new acquisitions on the epigraph. The comparison with multidisciplinary approaches to the study of the cultural heritage and the application of advanced 3D surveying techniques - from 3D structured light projection scanning to the digital photogrammetric reconstruction - have allowed us to create a three-dimensional model of the limestone vase and to analyze in detail the inscription, preparing a new contribution to the historiographical debate and to the possible connections of the church dedicated to the martyr Stephen to the holy city of Jerusalem.