Smart Labels: Linking Non-Standard Shapes and Semantics in Built Heritage. The “Grotta del Fauno” case study at Villa d’Este in Tivoli

In the built heritage domains, formalizing fact and knowledge for conservation, valorisation, and enhancement of historical artifacts has attracted a growing research community. Various methodologies are employed to objectively reproduce and depict the features of a heritage building, including both its morphological and conceptual complexity. Although traditional 3D virtual reconstruction is relatively mature, semantic enrichment and annotation approaches constitute a promising investigation path. The primary scientific challenge lies in analysing and effectively reusing large amounts of heterogeneous data across multiple disciplines beyond mere geometry. Heritage and archaeological buildings, characterized by irregular geometries, intricate ornamentation, and non-standard components, pose significant challenges to mainstream Heritage Building Information Modelling (H-BIM). Workflows typically rely on point cloud data and mesh-based modeling to capture complex geometries; however, translating these into structured BIM models is resource intensive due to the diversity of architectural elements. To address this, the paper introduces “smart labels”—virtual BIM instances that act as connectors between high-fidelity meshes and established ontological frameworks (Built Cultural Heritage - BCH ontology) by linking pseudo-BIM databases (IFC) with semantic knowledge bases (OWL) including topological information for a multidisciplinary, systemic analysis of phenomena. The case study of “Grotta del Fauno” inside the 16thcentury Villa d’Este in Tivoli illustrates the potential of enriched data querying to support decision-making in conservation, restoration, and structural analysis.