Preventive Monitoring and Digital Twins for the Protection of Remote Archaeological Heritage. The EU-funded project ARGUS and the case of Monti Lucretili (Lazio, Italy)

The ARGUS project proposes an integrated framework for the preventive conservation of remote archaeological heritage, combining multimodal monitoring, digital twins, and AI-based decision support systems. The Monti Lucretili pilot site (Lazio, Italy) represents a complex rural and mountainous landscape characterised by long-term occupation and a constellation of vulnerable heritage assets, including medieval fortifications, rupestrian structures, agricultural terraces, and Roman villas. ARGUS integrates satellite data, in situ sensor networks, historical documentation, and expert knowledge within a digital twin environment to detect early signs of risk, model environmental stress, and support informed conservation planning. The pilot demonstrates how multiscale monitoring and community engagement can enhance preparedness, prioritise interventions, and provide a scalable model for the sustainable management of remote cultural landscapes.