Santa Croce in Extended Reality

A new way to visit Santa Croce and get to know the place with "other eyes" with the project curated by Opera di Santa Croce and TIM, aimed at all visitors and in particular the youngest.

Thanks to modern multimedia devices, now available in an initial experimental phase, it will be possible to access new content in an engaging and dynamic way. The devices, on which an augmented reality application is installed, allow access to extended reality content, supported by latest generation 5G millimeter wave technology.

New visiting experiences

These special devices constitute an additional and complementary support to the traditional visit and can also be used together with the official audio guide. The proposed experience differs from the tools already available due to the specificity of the topics and the immersive and experiential nature of the contents.

There are two visit routes available in extended reality, lasting approximately thirty minutes, which enhance the dual identity, secular and spiritual, of Santa Croce:

The route of “The Greats of Santa Croce” is dedicated to people who stood out for their civic virtues and whose memory is celebrated in Santa Croce. In addition to knowing up close some little-known details of the monuments dedicated to figures such as Dante, Machiavelli and Rossini, you will be able to meet some illustrious figures such as Galileo and Vasari in person thanks to the "magic" of augmented reality.
“The Franciscan Path” created in collaboration with the Community of Friars Minor Conventual, allows us to delve deeper into the religious history of Santa Croce and to understand not only some famous artworks linked to Franciscanism and signed by authors such as Giotto, Taddeo Gaddi and Coppo di Marcovaldo , but also to relive particular aspects of community life in the Pazzi chapel and in the ancient Refectory.

How, where, when

The devices can be collected free of charge at the reception desk upon deposit of a document. Availability is limited and it is not possible to book the service in advance.

Given the experimental nature of the project, visitors who will use it are asked to answer anonymously to a short satisfaction questionnaire at the end of the experience.

The staff of the Opera di Santa Croce is available to provide any information on the use and characteristics of the visit route on the spot.

The Santa Croce extended reality project was created by Opera di Santa Croce and TIM Enterprise with the collaboration of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and the support of Reply as software developer.