Augmented Reality Applications to Support the Promotion of Cultural Heritage

Abstract

The intent of this study is to promote and raise awareness of the Basilica of Saint Catherina of Alexandria in Galatina, a church endowed with such beauty as to be defined as astounding. In this article two technologies were used: Spatial Augmented Reality, better known as videomapping, to valorize the monument and narrate its story through images and sounds; and Augmented Reality, to facilitate the reading and interpretation of the most important frescoes located along all the internal walls of the Basilica. The goal is to create a unique path starting from the Basilica façade and continuing and winding through the interior spaces. One of the most extensive and best conserved cycles of Late Gothic frescoes in all of Europe unfolds on the nave of the church covering every corner, from the keystones down to the floor. An in-depth bibliographic research confirmed the presence of frescoes also on the exterior of the Basilica façade whose traces, however, are no longer visible today. Pietro Cavoti’ s illustrations give an idea of how the façade has changed over the years, before, during, and after the restorations that permanently removed the already faint traces of frescoes. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate how the combined use of these technologies can be considered a valid aid to support the enhancement, fruition, and understanding of a monument that is very important for the cultural heritage sector and a reference point for the local and religious community.

Location-Based Augmented Reality for Cultural Heritage Communication and Education: The Doltso District Application

“…AR has also proved successful in cultural heritage education and communication [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. AR is a valuable technology that can enhance a visitor’s experience and knowledge about cultural heritage, and there are several examples of initiatives in this field (e.g., [ 36 , 37 , 38 ]). Advancements in AR technology, moving from marker-based to marker-less and GPS-triggered overlays, have made AR even more compelling for this field.…”

A Virtual Tour for the Promotion of Tourism of the City of Bari

“…Cisternino et al [29] demonstrated the use of augmented reality technologies for the promotion of the Basilica of Saint Catherine of Alexandria in Galatina.…”

Educación Patrimonial y aplicaciones de Arqueología Virtual en museos y yacimientos arqueológicos

“…Este es el caso, por ejemplo, del trabajo pionero del proyecto ARCHEOGUIDE (Vlahakis et al, 2001) donde, tras su aplicación en el yacimiento griego de Olimpia, se sintetiza el resultado de un cuestionario en el que se verifica la buena recepción de los usuarios a este sistema, especialmente en el público joven. En otras contribuciones sobre Realidad Aumentada se desarrollan planteamientos y resultados similares (Cinotti et al, 2004;Galatis et al, 2016;Tiriteu & Vert 2020;Cisternino et al, 2021). Cabe destacar el análisis de la aplicación móvil de Realidad Aumentada multisensorial empleada en el yacimiento romano de Conimbriga (Portugal), que evidencia el valor añadido que ofrece la tecnología de Realidad Aumentada para la difusión del patrimonio arqueológico con una amplia aceptación por parte del de las personas usuarias (Marto et al, 2016;Marto & Gonçalves, 2019).…”