Pisa, at the Acropolis of Volterra history becomes an immersive experience

The visit itinerary develops in five chronologically narrated stages, from the origins of the settlement to the reconstruction of the Acropolis in the 2nd century BC. The digital contents allow the Late Archaic Temple, Temple B, the Sanctuary of Demeter, Temple A and the sacred spaces of ancient Velathri to be superimposed on the current remains, transforming fragments and foundations into a visual, audio, playful and educational story. A central value of the project is accessibility. The eight QR code panels installed on the pilot site were designed to activate content taking into account the needs of adults, children and wheelchair users. The virtual reality experiences are enjoyed while seated, to ensure safety and comfort, while the augmented reality stages include differentiated activation points.

The project brought together complementary skills. Phaserem Srl, leader, took care of the design of the route, the narration, the 3D modeling and the visual contents, developing the virtual tour; the Cnr – Institute of Cultural Heritage Sciences, especially through the contribution of Giorgio Franco Pocobelli, provided bibliographic and archaeometric research, digital surveys and scientific validation; Qbitsoft Srl has developed the application for AR/VR viewers; 2R Studio developed the web platform, integrated the virtual tour and designed the digital use flows; Stargate Consulting Srl supported the industrial partners in reading the competitive factors, the valorization prospects and the transferability of the model.

“With Velathri we worked to transform a complex heritage into an understandable, exciting and accessible experience – states Federico Nardini, Phaserem representative -. Technology does not replace the archaeological site, but enhances it, helping the visitor to imagine what is no longer visible today. Even in other realities, with this model, history can become an immersive experience”.