HBIM for the Study and Preservation of Built Heritage. The Case of the Medieval “Pallata” Tower in Brescia.

The application of Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM) to the medieval “Pallata” tower in Brescia represents a significant example of how digital methodologies can enhance the knowledge, documentation, and conservation planning of architectural heritage. Erected in the late 13th century as a defensive structure within the medieval walls, the Pallata has long been a symbolic landmark in the city’s skyline. Over centuries, it has become deeply integrated within the dense urban landscape, and its exposed surfaces reveal the traces of time, with widespread phenomena of erosion and material decay that compromise the legibility of the original masonry. The masonry of the tower, largely composed of Medolo, a local limestone characterized by variable porosity and mechanical resistance, shows vulnerability to environmental stress and atmospheric agents, resulting in granular disintegration, alveolization, and chromatic alteration.