The Castle of Casertavecchia: ongoing research between archaeological excavation and digital surveying

The castle of Casertavecchia (Caserta, Italy), one of the most significant fortified complexes of medieval Campania, is currently the focus of a renewed season of multidisciplinary research. The project is carried out by a team that integrates historical and archaeological expertise with knowledge from the fields of architectural drawing, surveying technologies, and architectural representation, fostering a continuous methodological dialogue between traditional disciplines and advanced digital tools. The ongoing research is based on the integrated reading of stratigraphic data, historical sources, and digital reconstructions, with the aim of deepening the understanding of settlement dynamics and construction processes at the site. The last 5-years excavation campaigns, launched in 2021, have already opened new perspectives on the genesis and transformations of the complex. The northern and western areas of the castle have revealed relatively intact archaeological layers, including ceramic materials and masonry structures that contribute to reconstructing the site’s architectural development from the Norman period to the modern age. In parallel with fieldwork, a systematic programme of digital survey and three-dimensional modeling is underway, aimed both at accurately documenting the existing architecture and at hypothetically reconstructing lost or altered parts. This integrated approach enables a unified representation of material evidence and excavation data, contributing to a broader reflection on methods for understanding and managing fortified heritage across the Mediterranean. This paper aims to present the preliminary outcomes of the ongoing process, highlighting the potential of disciplinary convergence between archaeology, surveying, and graphic representation in the study of fortified heritage. Casertavecchia emerges as an exemplary case study for the development of shared methodologies applicable to other Mediterranean contexts, within a wider perspective of research, protection, and interpretation of historic built environments.