GIS and 3D modeling for Cultural Heritage

The use of digtial technologies inside historical studies isnot a new, but it cannot be considered completely understood as far as thier potentialities are concerned. Sometimes the use of these technolgies is considered just as a different way to represent the results of the historical researches and not a new opportunity to increase the research strategies or to develop new research methodologies, to disseminate the collected data, and the obtained results to the research community. The diffusion of Information technology (IT) knowledge, the availability of automatic acquisition instruments for metric survey of complex shapes and the possibility to use the open source platforms mainly devoted to metric and geographic data management open the use of these technologies to an ever increasing number of specialsts more involved in other disciplines. This article will focus on the use of GIS and 3D modelling disciplines inside the historical researches by fixing for each of them the basic concepts and the main advantages/problems that can arise from this new approach.