3D Scanning of the Bibliotheca Hertziana

The Bibliotheca Hertziana — Max-Planck Institute for Art History, in partnership with Lafayette College (United States) has initiated in January 2026 the first complete 3D scanning of its premises. All buildings — Palazzo Zuccari, the Library's Neubau, Palazzo Stroganoff, as well as the Villino — have been scanned, including basements and service areas.

Combining high-resolution photogrammetry for the interior frescoes with LiDAR scanning — accurate to six millimeters — for the entire area, the 3D models will be made available to the general public and researchers. Still photographic material of the spaces will also be made public.

This digital scan of the Hertziana hopes to provide highly valuable information for historians, restorers, and architects interested in documenting the current status of the Institute, researching its past states, and planning its future.

A complementary scan of the Villa Lante al Gianicolo, in collaboration with the Finnish Institute in Rome, has also been conducted to allow for the digital recreation of the original state of Giulio Romano's gran sala, complete with Polidoro da Caravaggio's paintings, which are kept today in the Hertziana's sala di riunione.

The project, led by Prof. Eric Hupe (Lafayette College) and Dr. Paul Guhennec (Bibliotheca Hertziana) has involved the help of several students from Lafayette and collaborators from the Hertziana: Caitlyn Carr, Ellen Charlesworth, Anna Drugan, Clay Foye, Chris Nappo, Max O’Rourke, Maggie Thompson, and Urvi Thakker.

Following data acquisition, the project is currently in its processing phase, with all models being progressively generated. Progress will be documented on this page, with new images being updated here as it goes.