The Vatican embraces technological innovation to offer the world a one-of-a-kind experience: St. Peter’s Basilica, the heart of Christianity, has been reconstructed in a detailed 3D model accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world. Thanks to the collaboration between the Fabbrica di San Pietro and Microsoft, the project “St. Peter’s Basilica: AI-Enhanced Experience” uses artificial intelligence to create a “digital twin” of the Basilica, allowing you to explore every corner, even those normally inaccessible to the public. To carry out this ambitious two-year project, drones, cameras and lasers captured over 400,000 high-resolution images of the Basilica. Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab then processed this mass of data, creating an ultra-precise 3D model and filling in any gaps with artificial intelligence algorithms. The result is an immersive experience that allows you to admire the Basilica in every detail, from the mosaics to the sculptures, discovering its history and its role over the centuries.
But AI doesn’t just deliver an amazing visual experience. The project also made it possible to map the Basilica’s structural vulnerabilities, such as cracks or missing mosaic tiles, providing valuable information for future restoration and conservation work. The project also includes two new immersive exhibitions at the Basilica, “Petros Eni” and “Petros Eni Octagon”, which combine history and digital exploration. Furthermore, an interactive website will allow anyone to live this experience remotely, offering direct access to the 3D model and educational content. As explained by Cardinal Gambetti, archpriest of the Basilica and president of the Fabbrica di San Pietro, the objective is to create an “outgoing Basilica”, opening its doors to the world and making its spirituality, its culture and its beauty accessible to all, especially to those who cannot reach Rome.
“Artificial intelligence allows us to admire this Basilica in a unique and innovative way never seen before,” said Brad Smith, vice chairman and president of Microsoft. This project, which combines institutions and technological innovation, represents a work of art of modernity, a new way of living and knowing one of the most sacred and important places in the world. Father Enzo Fortunato, director of Communications of St. Peter’s Basilica, underlined how this project can “switch on many lights in the world”, offering a new communication tool and a new way of living the faith. The “St. Peter’s Basilica: AI-Enhanced Experience” project represents an example of how technology can be at the service of faith and culture, offering new opportunities for knowledge and sharing. Thanks to artificial intelligence, St. Peter’s Basilica becomes an even more accessible and universal place, a bridge between past and future, between tradition and innovation.