In Ersilia's Footsteps

A groundbreaking project, VILLAE, merges archaeology and game design to revolutionize public engagement with the 4th-Century CE Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its extensive Roman mosaics. Despite its cultural significance, the site remains underappreciated due to accessibility challenges. The project utilizes WebGL technology to create an immersive online game that combines accurate 3D reconstructions with narrative storytelling, focusing on the life of pioneering archaeologist Ersilia Caetani-Lovatelli and the evolution of modern Italian archaeology. This innovative approach addresses the balance between digital accuracy and meaningful gameplay, offering a novel method for both academic and public engagement with historical sites.

Vennarucci, R., Fredrick, D., Tanasi, D., Reynolds, N., Kingsland, K., Jenkins, B., & Hassam, S. (2021). In Ersilia’s Footsteps. The 26th International Conference on 3D Web Technology, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1145/3485444.3487646