Abstract
The Italian catacombs represent one of the most interesting examples of the country’s underground built heritage. A strategic use of digital technologies can foster their sustainability by providing virtual access to local communities and tourists, as well as by transferring their value to future generations. Referring to a classification of the catacombs of Italy carried out by the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology of Vatican City, this paper analyzes the digital presence of this heritage within the contexts of social media, video sharing and navigation platforms in institutional and touristic areas. The emerging results show a good digital presence of this cultural heritage on these platforms. At the same time, they reflect an almost total absence of 3D technologies, virtual reconstructions or augmented reality. Only 2 out of 63 catacombs analyzed offer a photographic overview of the sites through the online Google Art and Culture platform, but this is only a small example of what a virtual visit would offer. The following work is based on this notion, as it aims to demonstrate that this type of underground built heritage still has great potential for the valorization and sustainability of these sites through the use of digital technologies. The use of virtual and augmented reality, enhanced by immersive storytelling, would limit the physical wear and tear on the site, making its conservation sustainable in the long term.
Highlights
There are numerous studies [1,2,3] that agree on the introduction of the concept of sustainability in the conservation of cultural heritage, with the aim of preserving as much culture as possible for future generations
Research [4,5,6,7] has shown that cultural heritage is an element of integration for local communities, and it is a strategic element for the sustainable development of an area
The second phase of the analysis investigated the presence of the website, social pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and the digital presence on YouTube and Google Arts and Culture platforms
Summary
There are numerous studies [1,2,3] that agree on the introduction of the concept of sustainability in the conservation of cultural heritage, with the aim of preserving as much culture as possible for future generations. Research [4,5,6,7] has shown that cultural heritage is an element of integration for local communities, and it is a strategic element for the sustainable development of an area. Knowledge of cultural sites can be fostered with innovative approaches, such as virtual reality and mixed reality, to contribute significantly to preventive conservation and associated risks. These are intangible means aimed at avoiding and minimizing future deterioration or loss by allowing access to a tangible good. They promote a systems approach for heritage
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