Diego Ronchi

Diego Ronchi

Researcher

Rome
diego.ronchi@cnr.it

Professional profile

Classical Archaeologist | Building Archaeology Specialist | Landscape Archaeology Specialist | Remote Sensing Specialist | 3D Digitisation & Survey Expert | Digital Heritage Researcher

I am a Classical archaeologist working at the intersection of building and landscape archaeology, combining digital survey, remote sensing, and the valorisation of cultural heritage. My main research interest lies in the methodological integration of material evidence, analytical scales and acquisition techniques, with the aim of developing replicable workflows for 3D digitisation in archaeological contexts.

Over the years, I have gained extensive experience directing excavation projects and survey campaigns, combining contextual archaeology with the integrated use of active and passive measurement paradigms. I design workflows supporting both data acquisition and interpretation, employing terrestrial and UAV photogrammetry, TLS, SLAM, LiDAR, SLS, multispectral sensors, ground-penetrating radar, and magnetometry. My work focuses particularly on integrated investigative strategies for the detection and interpretation of archaeological anomalies, the survey and 3D reconstruction of complex sites, and the large-scale digitisation of museum collections, with constant attention to public dissemination.

I am the scientific coordinator of several research projects, including the Foro Emiliano Project, carried out under an Operational Agreement between SABAP Lazio and CNR ISPC for the study and digital enhancement of the Foro Emiliano in Terracina; the ARCI – Archaeology of Castrum Inui project, dedicated to the archaeological investigation of the Castrum Inui site; and the DIGIMUFT project, focused on the digitisation of the Museo Tuscolano at the Scuderie Aldobrandini in Frascati. I also lead the CNR unit within the international REVEAL project, devoted to the research and valorisation of the archaeological and landscape heritage of the Upper Shouf (Lebanon), through mapping activities based on remote sensing, LiDAR, and GIS integration. I coordinate the MAECI archaeological mission “EREDHERA – Experiences of Digital Restitution of Argentine Heritage”; serve as the representative of Network 9 within the Research Infrastructure of the DTC Lazio Centre of Excellence (“Technologies for the Sciences of Antiquity, History, Archaeology, Art History and Geography”); and I am task leader in the European project PLACEMUS XR. I also participate in numerous national and international projects, including the Horizon Europe project 3D4CH.

My scientific output includes monographs, edited volumes, peer-reviewed journal articles, and conference proceedings, spanning landscape and building archaeology, 3D survey, digital archaeology, remote sensing, and applications for the documentation and dissemination of museum contexts. I am also co-inventor of a patent concerning a method for producing a stratigraphically explorable three-dimensional digital reconstruction in the infrared spectrum, and I contribute to the development of the 3DINO system, a prototype for high-accuracy, low-cost micro-photogrammetry.

Building on these research trajectories, I am currently developing two new lines of investigation, both connected to data segmentation, though applied at different scales. The first explores the use of semantic segmentation tools for the study of material culture, with particular attention to the documentation of fragmentary plasters and the assisted interpretation of ceramic thin-section images, aiming for standardisation, reproducibility, and the creation of datasets for future AI pipelines. The second investigates archaeological sites as forms of “third landscape”, interpreting them as areas of ecological discontinuity and potential biodiversity hotspots, within an interdisciplinary perspective combining landscape archaeology, remote sensing, sustainable management, and valorisation.

CNR Disciplinary Fields and Research Management Sectors

  • SH6_1 Archaeological methods and theory, history of archaeology
  • SH6_6 Digital, computational, virtual and geospatial archaeologies
  • PE6_8 Computer graphics, computer vision, multimedia, computer games

MUR Italian Scientific-Disciplinary Sector

  • ARCH-01/D Classical Archaeology
  • ARCH-01/F Ancient Topography
  • ARCH‑01/G Archaeological Research Methods and Technologies for Cultural Heritage Knowledge

Groups & Labs CNR ISPC

Digital Heritage Innovation Lab →

Publications

CNR IRIS platform →
ORCID →

Highlight

D. Ronchi, G.L. Gregori, M. Lombardi, E. Di Virgilio, M. De Spagnolis, F. Di Mario (2025). Il teatro romano di Terracina. Archeologia Classica, LXXVI, 373–438. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48255/2240-7839.ArchCl.LXXVI.2025.12

D. Ronchi, M. Limongiello, E. Demetrescu, D. Ferdani (2023). Multispectral UAV Data and GPR Survey for Archeological Anomaly Detection Supporting 3D Reconstruction. Sensors 23, 2769. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/s23052769

D. Ronchi, M. Limongiello, S. Barba (2020). Correlation among Earthwork and Cropmark Anomalies within Archaeological Landscape Investigation by Using LiDAR and Multispectral Technologies from UAV. Drones 4, 72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/drones4040072