diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index bae5fad..855e362 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,4 +10,5 @@ _dist/
 _req_packages/
 map_tile_cache/
 map_tile_cache_ge/
-geoelevation_dem_cache/
\ No newline at end of file
+geoelevation_dem_cache/
+build/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
index 6e38950..6566a30 100644
--- a/.vscode/launch.json
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
 {
-    // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.
-    // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.
-    // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387
     "version": "0.2.0",
     "configurations": [
         {
@@ -9,6 +6,22 @@
             "type": "debugpy",
             "request": "launch",
             "module": "geoelevation"
-        }
+        },
+        {
+                "name": "(Windows) Launch C++ CLI",
+                "type": "cppvsdbg",
+                "request": "launch",
+                "program": "${workspaceFolder}/build/elevation_cli.exe",
+                "args": [
+                    // Argomenti a riga di comando per il test
+                    "${workspaceFolder}/geoelevation_dem_cache/hgt_tiles",
+                    "46.1705234",
+                    "9.403258"
+                ],
+                "stopAtEntry": false,
+                "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
+                "environment": [],
+                "console": "integratedTerminal" // Mostra l'output nel terminale integrato
+            },
     ]
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1427d91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+    "cmake.sourceDirectory": "C:/src/____GitProjects/GeoElevation/source_c",
+    "files.associations": {
+        "string": "cpp"
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/source_c/CMakeLists.txt b/source_c/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b61aa9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source_c/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)
+project(GeoElevationCpp)
+
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
+
+add_executable(elevation_cli main.cpp ElevationReader.cpp)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/source_c/ElevationReader.cpp b/source_c/ElevationReader.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f9ba5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source_c/ElevationReader.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+#include "ElevationReader.h"
+#include <cmath>
+#include <fstream>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <sstream>
+#include <iomanip>
+#include <limits>
+
+// The value used within HGT files to represent "no data" points (e.g., water bodies).
+// This corresponds to the minimum possible value for a signed 16-bit integer.
+constexpr int16_t HGT_NO_DATA_VALUE = std::numeric_limits<int16_t>::min(); // -32768
+
+ElevationReader::ElevationReader(const std::string& hgt_directory)
+    : hgt_dir_path_(hgt_directory) {}
+
+double ElevationReader::get_elevation(double latitude, double longitude) {
+    // Validate input coordinates to be within the standard WGS 84 range.
+    if (latitude < -90.0 || latitude >= 90.0 || longitude < -180.0 || longitude >= 180.0) {
+        return USER_NO_DATA_VALUE;
+    }
+
+    // Determine which tile file is needed for the given coordinates.
+    std::string basename = get_tile_basename(latitude, longitude);
+
+    // Load the tile from disk if it's not already in the cache.
+    if (!ensure_tile_is_loaded(basename)) {
+        // This occurs if the file doesn't exist or is invalid (e.g., wrong size).
+        std::cerr << "Warning: Tile file for " << basename << ".hgt not found or is invalid." << std::endl;
+        return USER_NO_DATA_VALUE;
+    }
+
+    // Retrieve the tile data from the cache. `at()` is used for safe access.
+    const auto& data = tile_cache_.at(basename);
+
+    // Calculate the fractional part of the coordinates to find the position within the 1x1 degree tile.
+    double lat_fractional = latitude - floor(latitude);
+    double lon_fractional = longitude - floor(longitude);
+
+    // IMPORTANT: HGT data is stored in rows from North to South (top to bottom).
+    // A higher latitude corresponds to a lower row index. So, we invert the latitude logic.
+    // Example: For N45 tile (45-46 deg), lat 45.99 is near row 0; lat 45.01 is near row 3600.
+    int row = static_cast<int>(round((1.0 - lat_fractional) * (HGT_GRID_DIMENSION - 1)));
+    int col = static_cast<int>(round(lon_fractional * (HGT_GRID_DIMENSION - 1)));
+
+    // Calculate the 1D index into the data vector.
+    size_t index = static_cast<size_t>(row) * HGT_GRID_DIMENSION + col;
+
+    // Safety check to prevent out-of-bounds access.
+    if (index >= data.size()) {
+        return USER_NO_DATA_VALUE;
+    }
+
+    int16_t elevation = data[index];
+
+    // Check if the point corresponds to a "no data" value within the file.
+    if (elevation == HGT_NO_DATA_VALUE) {
+        return USER_NO_DATA_VALUE;
+    }
+
+    return static_cast<double>(elevation);
+}
+
+std::string ElevationReader::get_tile_basename(double latitude, double longitude) const {
+    // The HGT filename convention is based on the integer coordinates of the bottom-left (SW) corner.
+    int lat_int = static_cast<int>(floor(latitude));
+    int lon_int = static_cast<int>(floor(longitude));
+
+    char lat_char = (lat_int >= 0) ? 'N' : 'S';
+    char lon_char = (lon_int >= 0) ? 'E' : 'W';
+
+    // Use a stringstream for safe and clean string formatting.
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    ss << lat_char << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(2) << std::abs(lat_int)
+       << lon_char << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(3) << std::abs(lon_int);
+    
+    return ss.str();
+}
+
+bool ElevationReader::ensure_tile_is_loaded(const std::string& tile_basename) {
+    // 1. Check if the tile is already in our memory cache to avoid disk I/O.
+    if (tile_cache_.count(tile_basename)) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    // 2. Construct the full path to the .hgt file.
+    std::string file_path = hgt_dir_path_ + "/" + tile_basename + ".hgt";
+
+    std::ifstream file(file_path, std::ios::binary);
+    if (!file) {
+        return false; // File does not exist or cannot be opened.
+    }
+
+    // 3. Validate the file size to ensure it's a complete 1-arc-second tile.
+    file.seekg(0, std::ios::end);
+    std::streampos file_size = file.tellg();
+    file.seekg(0, std::ios::beg);
+
+    const std::streampos expected_size = HGT_GRID_DIMENSION * HGT_GRID_DIMENSION * sizeof(int16_t);
+    if (file_size != expected_size) {
+        std::cerr << "Warning: Invalid file size for " << file_path
+                  << ". Expected " << expected_size << " bytes, but got " << file_size << " bytes." << std::endl;
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    // 4. Read the entire file into a vector of 16-bit integers.
+    std::vector<int16_t> tile_data(HGT_GRID_DIMENSION * HGT_GRID_DIMENSION);
+    file.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(tile_data.data()), expected_size);
+    
+    if (!file) {
+        std::cerr << "Error: Failed to read all data from " << file_path << std::endl;
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    // 5. CRITICAL STEP: Convert every value from Big-Endian to the host's native endianness.
+    for (auto& val : tile_data) {
+        val = byteswap(val);
+    }
+    
+    // 6. Store the loaded and processed data in the cache using std::move for efficiency.
+    tile_cache_[tile_basename] = std::move(tile_data);
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+int16_t ElevationReader::byteswap(int16_t value) const {
+    // Cast to unsigned to prevent issues with sign extension during bit shifts on negative numbers.
+    uint16_t u_value = static_cast<uint16_t>(value);
+    
+    // Example: 0x1234 (Big Endian) becomes 0x3412 (Little Endian)
+    // - (u_value & 0xFF00) >> 8  ->  (0x1200) >> 8  ->  0x0012
+    // - (u_value & 0x00FF) << 8  ->  (0x0034) << 8  ->  0x3400
+    // - 0x0012 | 0x3400 = 0x3412
+    return static_cast<int16_t>(((u_value & 0xFF00) >> 8) | ((u_value & 0x00FF) << 8));
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/source_c/ElevationReader.h b/source_c/ElevationReader.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..655cb5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source_c/ElevationReader.h
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+#include <map>
+
+
+// A constant for the expected grid dimension of 1-arc-second NASADEM HGT files.
+constexpr int HGT_GRID_DIMENSION = 3601;
+
+// The special value returned to the user when elevation data is not available.
+constexpr double USER_NO_DATA_VALUE = -999.0;
+
+/**
+ * @class ElevationReader
+ * @brief Reads elevation data from .hgt files downloaded by the GeoElevation tool.
+ *
+ * This class manages the loading, caching, and querying of 1-arc-second NASADEM .hgt files.
+ * It is designed to find the correct tile for a given coordinate, handle the binary
+ * file reading, and correctly interpret the big-endian data format used in HGT files.
+ */
+class ElevationReader {
+public:
+    /**
+     * @brief Constructs an ElevationReader.
+     * @param hgt_directory The path to the directory containing the .hgt tile files.
+     */
+    explicit ElevationReader(const std::string& hgt_directory);
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Gets the elevation for a specific geographic coordinate.
+     *
+     * This is the main public method of the class. It orchestrates finding the correct
+     * tile, loading it if necessary, and calculating the elevation.
+     *
+     * @param latitude The latitude in decimal degrees (e.g., 45.072).
+     * @param longitude The longitude in decimal degrees (e.g., 7.685).
+     * @return The elevation in meters as a double. Returns USER_NO_DATA_VALUE (-999.0)
+     *         if the corresponding .hgt tile is not found, coordinates are invalid,
+     *         or if the point corresponds to a "no data" value in the file.
+     */
+    double get_elevation(double latitude, double longitude);
+
+private:
+    /**
+     * @brief Generates the base filename (e.g., "N45E007") for a given coordinate.
+     * @param latitude The latitude of the point.
+     * @param longitude The longitude of the point.
+     * @return The standard base filename for the tile.
+     */
+    std::string get_tile_basename(double latitude, double longitude) const;
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Loads a tile from disk into the cache if it's not already present.
+     *
+     * This method implements a lazy-loading strategy. A tile is only read from disk
+     * the first time it is needed. Subsequent requests for the same tile will use
+     * the in-memory cache.
+     *
+     * @param tile_basename The base name of the tile to load (e.g., "N45E007").
+     * @return True if the tile was loaded successfully or was already in the cache, false otherwise.
+     */
+    bool ensure_tile_is_loaded(const std::string& tile_basename);
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Converts a 16-bit integer from big-endian to the host system's endianness.
+     *
+     * HGT files store data in big-endian (network byte order), while most modern CPUs
+     * (x86/x64) are little-endian. This byte swap is a critical step to correctly
+     * interpret the elevation values.
+     *
+     * @param value The big-endian short value read from the file.
+     * @return The value converted to the host system's native byte order.
+     */
+    int16_t byteswap(int16_t value) const;
+
+    // The path to the directory where .hgt files are stored.
+    std::string hgt_dir_path_;
+
+    // In-memory cache for tile data to avoid repeated, slow file reads from disk.
+    // The key is the tile basename (e.g., "N45E007"), the value is the elevation data.
+    std::map<std::string, std::vector<int16_t>> tile_cache_;
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/source_c/elevation_cli.exe b/source_c/elevation_cli.exe
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..617f12e
Binary files /dev/null and b/source_c/elevation_cli.exe differ
diff --git a/source_c/main.cpp b/source_c/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26e8c85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source_c/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <string>
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include "ElevationReader.h"
+void print_usage() 
+{
+    std::cerr << "Usage: elevation_cli <path_to_hgt_directory> <latitude> <longitude>" << std::endl;
+    std::cerr << "Example: elevation_cli ../geoelevation_dem_cache/hgt_tiles 45.07 7.68" << std::endl;
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char* argv[]) 
+{
+    if (argc != 4) 
+    {
+        print_usage();
+        return 1;
+    }
+    
+    std::string hgt_dir;
+    double lat, lon;
+    
+    try 
+    {
+        hgt_dir = argv[1];
+        lat = std::stod(argv[2]);
+        lon = std::stod(argv[3]);   
+    } catch (const std::invalid_argument& e) 
+    {
+        std::cerr << "Error: Invalid latitude or longitude format." << std::endl;
+        print_usage();
+        return 1;
+    } catch (const std::out_of_range& e) 
+    {
+        std::cerr << "Error: Latitude or longitude value is out of range." << std::endl;
+        print_usage();
+        return 1;
+    }
+    
+    try 
+    {
+        ElevationReader reader(hgt_dir);
+        double elevation = reader.get_elevation(lat, lon);
+        std::cout << "Querying for Latitude=" << lat << ", Longitude=" << lon << std::endl;
+        if (elevation == USER_NO_DATA_VALUE) 
+        {
+            std::cout << "Result: Elevation data not available for this location." << std::endl;
+        } 
+        else 
+        {
+            std::cout << "Result: Elevation is " << elevation << " meters." << std::endl;
+        }
+    } catch (const std::exception& e) 
+    {
+        std::cerr << "An unexpected error occurred: " << e.what() << std::endl;
+        return 1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
\ No newline at end of file