The use of historical aerial photographs in Italy: Some case studies

Abstract

Aerial photography should be considered one of the essential instruments for the analysis and the reconstruction of human activity in the landscape. Because it was acquired before the onset of mechanised farming, intensive industrial activity and major urban development, historical aerial photography reveals a landscape that is both closer to that of antiquity and more legible in detail. This chapter outlines the main sources of archival imagery available for Italy, summarises the photogrammetric methodology applied and illustrates the approach with a series of illustrated site and area case studies.