Do you find it near impossible to drag your children to a museum in search of exposing them and yourself to the rich cultures upon which our modern societies were founded? Yes? No? Well, many do, and the developers at the V-MUST (musei virtuali) network have spent the last four years creating a compelling virtual experience that brings museum visiting into the 21st century.
Beginning September 23rd, in the four cities that represented the four corners of the Roman Empire under the Emperor Augustus, the “Keys to Rome” exhibit will invite and guide guests through the streets of the Immortal City as they were 2000 years ago. Through natural interaction installations, multimedia and mobile applications, museum visitors will be able to interact with many of the artifacts which tell the story of Rome during an extraordinary era of peace under the reign of Augustus (27 BC – AD 14).
Each tour is personalized by the individual visitor, who is given a key card or a “key to Rome” which allows them access to all virtual applications on the tour. This key allows the curious “citizen” of Rome to manipulate 3-D images of priceless artifacts, getting to know its every detail, as if the object were in hand. Imagine, viewing a gladiator’s sword up close and personal instead of feet away through protective glass.
Or you can use your finger as a “revealing flashlight” by pointing your finger at the area of a worn vase, for example, and the area you indicate will be “restored” in color to its original state. Guests will also be personally guided through the exhibit by an elderly merchant of Rome and his nephew who will provide introductions to the virtual speaking busts of Roman citizens who offer insights into the political strategies of the time.
The opportunity to travel back in time is simultaneously offered in the cities of Amsterdam, Alexandria, Sarajevo and the titular city of Rome, all representing different perspectives of Roman culture. In remembrance of the death of the Emperor Augustus, the Superintendency of the City of Rome and the Institute for Technologies Applied to Cultural Heritage (ITABC) of CNR, within the communication program of Rome have jointly organized this rare opportunity, a first of its kind, to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors.
For more information https://www.v-must.net
Donate