The southern section of the Ancient Walls of Ferrara can now be seen with new eyes

ARtGlass takes its technology on a journey.
With the “Mura Aperte” project, Capitale Cultura Group and ARtGlass have written a new chapter in the field of “Phygital” fruition of cultural heritage. For the first time, digital storytelling marries sustainable and recreational mobility through an innovative AR web app that activates narrative contents while walking.

A new way to promote active tourism in Ferrara invites you to travel around the city to trace its history. The innovative Augmented Reality experience, an integral part of a cultural enhancement and marketing plan that also includes other innovative formats, guides the visitor from Porta Paola to the Bulwark of Love, along the walls of Ferrara. It takes users on a journey between past and present to discover the development and identity of the Walls from the early years of the Duchy of Este to the present day.

The project Mura Aperte of the Municipality of Ferrara, approved and financed by POR FESR-FSC funds of the Emilia Romagna Region, has made possible the collaboration of ARtGlass with Capitale Cultura, completing the offer of enhancement through this highly technological intervention.

It starts from the Visitor Center of Porta Paola, the monumental gate of the city, where, thanks to an interactive, two-sided SmartMap, it is possible to start the Web App on your smartphone without the need to download any application. By framing the dedicated QRCode on the SmartMap inside Porta Paola, the visitor begins the Augmented Reality experience – made available in two languages (Italian and English) and with a subtitling system for the deaf and hard of hearing – and is invited to activate the rest of the contents along the Walls of Ferrara thanks to a geolocation system.

Luca D’Addino, the actor who plays the avatar of Giovan Battista Aleotti, the star architect of this section’s bastioned fortification at the end of the 16th century, is responsible for accompanying the visitor. Along the route, he tells the story of the section’s development up to the Bulwark of Love.

The experience is enriched by fun educational games that activate extra contents along the way. In addition, at the end of the journey, the user can immortalize one’s own image with digital avatars linked to the history of the Walls, creating a personal memory of the experience to keep or share on social media.

These solutions, when combined with content personalization, enable the development of a dynamic and accessible web app experience capable of attracting a wide audience, with a focus on the youngest, social inclusion, and disabilities.