Archetypal Models of Faith: Geometric-Topological Interpretations of Franciscan Religious Architecture

This paper presents early-stage research aimed at the multiscale analysis of Franciscan complexes in Campania, with the objective of verifying the adoption of an archetypal model, while also considering the transformations induced by local urban contexts. The research focuses on case studies primarily dated to the founding phase of thirteenth-century Franciscan architecture. It adopts an integrated approach that merges GIS cataloguing and collecting heterogeneous sources, including archival documentation, iconographic materials, and digital surveys, with the semantic, geometric, and topological analysis of architectural artefacts. This approach retraces recurring compositional patterns and relationships, as well as their variants and exceptions. This contribution highlights how such investigations constitute an interpretative framework for the development of an implementable digital archive, intended to provide critical documentation and to trace the evolution of the Franciscan architectural model.