The Corviano Cliff Natural Monument (VT): an interdisciplinary approach aimed at its valorisation

Sergio Madonna¹, Francesco Gentili¹, Giuseppe Romagnoli¹, Giancarlo Pastura¹, Bruno Bonsignori², Marcello Bracciani², Marcin Piotrowski³ & Patrycja Piotrowska^3
1Università degli Studi della Tuscia sermad@unitus.it - Via San Camillo de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo.
²Studio Geologico Pangea – Vetralla, Viterbo.
³Soc. Gorgona-Archaeofuture – Lublin, Polonia.
Corresponding author e-mail: sermad@unitus.it

LiDAR technology, utilising UAV-mounted sensors or mobile devices such as the iPhone Pro, represents the most precise method for documenting archaeological heritage and enhancing data analysis and GIS-based management in conjunction with geological, geomorphological, and geostructural surveys. A multidisciplinary approach was applied to the Corviano Natural Monument (Viterbo Province), a plateau formed by pyroclastic deposits from the Cimino-Vicano volcanic district. The site, defensible due to its geomorphological features, has been inhabited since ancient times. The area includes a castle, church, necropolis, and rockcut cavities, many modified over time. Erosional processes have undermined the volcanic deposits, leading to collapses and toppling landslides that have shaped steep tuffaceous cliffs. These cliffs are characterised by a dense network of joints, where exogenous processes and plant root systems have further widened the gaps. Structural surveys focus on these features, and ongoing collapses jeopardise the stability of the cliffs and anthropogenic cavities.

UAV Lidar, Iphone Lidar, Corviano (VT), underground cavities, archeological heritage.