Dissemination of cultural heritage content through virtual reality and multimedia Techniques : a case study

This paper presents the case study of an interactive digital narrative and real-time visualization of an Italian theatre during the 19th century. This case study illustrates how to integrate the traditional concepts of cultural heritage with Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. In this way virtual reconstructions of cultural sites are lift up to an exciting new edutainment level. Novel multimedia interaction devices and digital narrative representations combined with environment historical and architectural certified, offer to the users real-time immersive visualization where to live experiences of the past. Starting to the studies of several project strengthening the great benefits connected at the use of the VR technologies in the cultural fields, the paper illustrates the motivations that have triggered a collaboration between the department of Computer Science[1] and the department of Performing Arts of the University of Milano [2] in order to develop this educational and entertaining system.