Wonders of Venice: Virtual online treasures in St. Mark’s area

The aim of this project has been to create the first ever virtual online museum devoted to Venice. The project uses multimedia tools that will allow viewers to see approximately 400 works of art. The online museum, translated into 10 languages, accessible on smartphones, tablets and computers, includes 238 3D models of objects of cultural and historical interest, 29 virtual tours, and 389 virtual objects. It allows users to see buildings and objects in the area of St. Mark’s Square, including the ancient bronze winged statue of a lion and treasures from the Basilica. The virtual environment uses 3D technology to enable users to see, for example, a deconstructed representation of the winged lion revealing the successive renovations to the sculpture over the years.

The particular importance of this project has been the reconstitution, among other different collections, of two museums which no longer exist: the Tribuna of the Grimani Palace and the Public Statuary of the Serenissima Republic of Venice. Taken together, the reassembly and re-presentation of these various objects in digital form affords a new opportunity for a wider range of viewers to appreciate and understand the richness of Venice’s cultural heritage.

The Jury were most impressed with this digitization project. Through a multi-lingual platform (10 languages), it is accessible on a wide range of media. It impacts on both promotional events and research, and will be useful to both expert and tourist alike. The challenges of complexity, the distinction between the real and the virtual, and a mix of academic disciplines and range of objects, are all successfully resolved in this highly commendable and valuable project.

More information
www.meravigliedivenezia.it/en/index.html
www.regione.veneto.it/web/cultura/percorsi-della-cultura