Tim Enterprise and Florence’s Opera di Santa Croce (with the collaboration of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.) have joined forces to create Alla scoperta di Santa Croce: tra passato e futuro in extended reality: a special system of guided tours through the use of augmented reality, made possible thanks to 5G millimetric band.
The project combines art culture and science for the valorisation and sharing of the artistic heritage. During the presentation last December, the president of the Opera di Santa Croce, Cristina Acidini, spoke of it as a ‘special guide’ capable of ‘extracting’ the messages that the memory of sacred art has to offer visitors: ‘The place that St Francis originally visited, which then became Arnolfo di Cambio’s Santa Croce, now offers visitors content around the life of St Francis, but also the memories of many illustrious people. All of this is silent by definition: this device gives the voice we would like to hear of all these high personalities, via one’s Smartphone’.
Now, before describing the experience, a few ‘technological’ clarifications: the bandwidth connections on the mobile phones with 5G provided by Tim to the Opera and not yet commercially available, is seven to eight times higher than with fibre optics. By combining people’s expertise in heritage management and technology, Tim Enterprise and Santa Croce have thus been able to make the visitors’ experience more “im-mersive”, and beauty accessible to all, explained Elio Schiavo and Enrico Salvatori (respectively Chief Enterprise and Innovative Solu-tions Officer of TIM and Senior Vice President and President, Qualcomm Europe/MEA of Qualcomm Europe).
Thus, through the use of a mobile phone with 5G and a specific application, it is possible to select the museum itinerary one prefers between the one dedicated to “The Greats of the Holy Cross” and the “Franciscan” one (i.e. one that is more humanistic, artistic and another more spiritual): by framing the images on the signs next to the works, a special guide appears on the screen of the mobile phone, i.e. the protagonist of the work selected, who narrates it, highlighting the details (which are in turn highlighted on the screen). Through the use of the augmented reality visor, however, it is possible to be at the centre of the cenacle experienced by the Franciscans (including Father Giancarlo, who lent himself to the making of the videos together with some of his brothers)
Thus, through the use of a mobile phone with 5G and a specific application, it is possible to select the museum itinerary one prefers between the one dedicated to “The Greats of the Holy Cross” and the “Franciscan” one (i.e. one that is more humanistic, artistic and another more spiritual): by framing the images on the signs next to the works, a special guide appears on the screen of the mobile phone, i.e. the protagonist of the work selected, who narrates it, highlighting the details (which are in turn highlighted on the screen). Through the use of the augmented reality visor, however, it is possible to be at the centre of the cenacle experienced by the Franciscans (including Father Giancarlo, who lent himself to the making of the videos together with some of his brothers)
as they used to do at the time.
The sensation is so realistic that it leaves one bewildered. Thanks to this fortunate combination, it will now be possible to enjoy in Santa Croce a ‘virtuous example of humanist mediation between science and art’.
Fiamma Andrei
