A tool to access unreachable sites inside the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica in Rome

Abstract

Digital technologies are today used in many museums and archaeological sites. With the passing years, the diffusion of virtual tours, interactive projections and information totems has increased in all cultural places. Nowadays, new digital materials to be included in visits are very often developed during periods of renovation or the creation of new exhibitions. However, the addition of new material rarely includes what is unreachable and it is usually limited to the main content of the site. The present work aims to overcome this limit, making sites that are difficult to access or that are unreachable, virtually accessible. The creation of high quality and culturally accurate virtual tours can make sites that are usually closed to the public, enriching and enjoyable for visitors. To develop such tours, it is necessary to create 3D models, informative layers and to use appropriate communication devices. Photogrammetry can be used to create 3D models which can be evaluated using structural and geometrical analyses. Appropriately chosen video, textual and image material can be used to create the informative layers, considering tourists’ needs and the specificity of the site. 5G networks and cloud computing can widen the possibility of implementation enabling a mobile application to bring the best quality to the tour. The case-study presented within the paper is the Casa di Diana inside the archaeological park of Ostia Antica.