Carolina Gris operating the Lucida 3D Scanner © Factum Foundation
The altarpiece, which survives in fragmentary form, consists of a series of gilded silver repoussé plaques originally attached to a wooden support. The medieval arrangement of the plaques is not known with certainty, and several aspects of the altarpiece’s history and its connection to related works remain elusive. The study aims to shed new light on the aesthetic, religious, and social functions of the work.
The recording forms part of a multidisciplinary research project led by Prof. Stefania Gerevini (Bocconi University), Hidden in Plain Sight: Gold and Silver Altarpieces in Medieval Venetia — funded by MUR, PRIN: Progetti di Ricerca di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale – Bando 2022 (CUP: J53D23013290001). The project focuses on a group of 13th- to 16th-century metalwork altarpieces from the Veneto region in Italy. The recording in Torcello was carried out with the kind assistance of Cecilia Casaril (Museo di Torcello).
The digitisation of the altarpiece, part of Factum Foundation’s work with ARCHiVe (funded by the Helen Hamlyn Trust), was conducted by Carolina Gris and Imran Khan using a combination of Lucida 3D scanning, close-range photogrammetry, and high-resolution photography. The use of multiple recording techniques was essential to capture the complex shape and surface detail of the gilded plaques. The resulting 3D models will allow high-resolution on-screen inspection, offering enhanced viewing capabilities and enabling the exploration of possible alternative arrangements of the plaques. The scans also serve as a vital record of the altarpiece’s current condition and will contribute to disseminating its importance as part of Prof. Gerevini’s ongoing research.
Building on the extensive fieldwork experience gained through the ARCHiVe initiative, this project demonstrates the value of digital, non-contact 3D documentation in advancing art-historical research. It also expands Factum Foundation’s continuing work in the digitisation of Venetian heritage at every scale.
Imran Khan recording one of the altarpiece plaques using photogrammetry © Factum Foundation
