Documentation of soiled and biodeteriorated facades: a case study on the Coliseum, Rome, using hyperspectral imaging fluorescence lidars

Non-invasive documentation of historic façades with fluorescence lidar techniques can provide helpful information for the cultural heritage sector, especially when large areas outdoors are to be examined. This paper presents a case study on the Coliseum, Rome, where both cleaned and heavily soiled areas of the monument were scanned and analysed with two fluorescence lidar systems. Biodeterioration processes have also been addressed during the experiment with the aim of assessing the colonisation extent on selected areas of the monument. Results show the usefulness of a mobile fluorescence lidar system for documentation and survey of large surfaces with complex conditions without limiting the public access to the monument.