This research project on the Historical City of Ravenna was born as simple practice at the second year of the Course of Drawing of Architectural Engineering (University of Bologna, in Ravenna). Its development brought to a reciprocal collaboration between the University and the Public Administration. The purpose of this study is the realization of a virtual reconstruction of the historical city, together with of the graphic elaborates representing the system of the road fronts.

Teaching architectural drawing in courses of Architectural Engineering implies two general problems: recognizing and understanding architectural forms (from the organism to the architectural element); the modalities to properly redraw these elements using appropriate systems of representation.
There are various ways to deal with these didactic necessities; the chosen method consisted in planning a knowledge path based on specific didactic practices and finalized to the construction of the three-dimensional model of the City. The developed acquaintances result in abilities and competences that do not concern the 3D modelling only.
The operational phases of exercises allow the students to develop their own representation abilities, in particular:
- to enrich the experience and direct knowledge of the city through direct survey of fronts road and public parts, implemented with traditional techniques (sketch, instruments of measure...) and through the aid of the digital photography;
- To develop their ability of spatial visualization and representation. The shape of the object is reconstructed through the integration of various geometric and spatial information (from topographical data and territorial maps, from aerial and satellite photographs – and finally, from direct surveys of the fronts).
- to materialize the formal sintesys of different spatial data in a first physical wooden model, which is an important element of feedback for the equivalent virtual model;
- Using CAD software for the digital representation and 3D modeling, and software for managing digital images (to edit photographs, to mosaic with Photo-Stitching, to straighten and create interactive panoramic views at 360° - QTVR -- );
- to experiment the modalities to visualize the 3D model using public domain software (VRLM, PDF 3D ...);

The result obtained in the first step of this research (which is approximately one third of the whole Center) have been convincing both from a didactical perspective, and considering the results obtained by the practices.
In the first case students have experienced recurring problems in the digital design and have improved their ability to conceptualize space: the level of detail of the design needed in relation to scale, the operative modalities needed to “simplify” the reality in 3D modeling, operating modalities to draw and model, the organization of files in a working team.
In the second case, the 3D models and wooden ones, referenced to a cartographic mapping base, and graphically standardized, were presented at “Ravenna Research 2008" conference, evoking strong enthusiasm on the Municipal Administration, with which an agreement has been arranged to conclude this research project. The aim is to complete the virtual model and to improve the definition of connective areas (i.e. parks, roads, road junctions...) not effectively represented.
In the future, an analogue experience will be developed around the area of the canal-port of Ravenna.