The Digital Loggia from Italy to China

The National Research Council - Institute of Information Science and Technologies "A. Faedo "(CNR-ISTI) of Pisa, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and the PROMOItalia Association belonging to the Cerealia Festival network and based in Shanghai and Naples, together in a project for the "Digital Loggia" in China.

The interactive system of the Loggia of Cupid and Psyche in Villa Farnesina, Rome, was created by the CNR-ISTI Visual Computing Lab in synergy with the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. The vegetable festoons painted by Giovanni da Udine based on Raphael's design become easily accessible at a close distance that allows you to easily distinguish the 170 plant species, including flowers, fruit, and vegetables very particular pergola thanks to the accurate digitization process. It allow to enjoy the pictorial details that are difficult to observe from the normal observation distance of the vault (8 meters). The availability of in-depth data sheets on chromatisms, investigation techniques, history and origin of the numerous botanical entities, coming from all the then known continents, enriches navigation with interest.

PROMOItalia has chosen the "Digital Loggia" as a technological solution applied to the Italian cultural heritage to celebrate the divine Raphael in China, in the year that celebrates the 500th anniversary of his death (and extended to 2021 due to the pandemic), organizing a dissemination in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen and Xi'an.

The goal is to broaden the potential audience of users of a heritage that combines absolute pictorial value with primary scientific interest for the botanical biodiversity represented, which constitutes the first complete documentation of the plant world known at the time, including what came from the East and what was introduced from the Americas, just 20 years after the discovery of the new world.

The "Digital Loggia" video was made with subtitles in Chinese and English, which can be selected at will from settings on You Tube. The video was created by CNR-ISTI Visual Computing Lab in agreement with the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei.

Here is available a video translation more adherent to the Chinese meaning (edited by PromoItalia).

The video with the link to the " Digital Loggia " interactive system has already visited the cities of Beijing (November 2020), Shanghai (December 2020), Xi'an (30-31 March 2021 and again from 30 April to 6 May), Chengdu (6 April 2021) and Chongqing (8 April 2021); while in May and June it will be in Fuzhou and Xiamen.

It was donated to the Italian Cultural Institute of Beijing and Shanghai, the China Millennium Monument in Beijing, the Pearl Museum of Shanghai, the Shanghai Library, the Italian Consulate in Chongqing, the Municipality of Chongqing, the Municipality of Chengdu - UNESCO Creative City since 2011 and to the Municipality of Xi'An - twin city with Pompeii.

The video on the "Digital Loggia" is part of the exhibition The Colors of Prosperity: Fruits of the Old and New World edited by Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei.

The traveling exhibition is presented in the context of the Italian Culture Week, organized in Xi'An (Shaanxi province) by Chic Investment Group ltd in collaboration with Gooditaly ltd and the PROMOItalia Association, with the patronage of the Embassy of Italy in China and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China. The exhibition, set up from 30 April to 6 May, at the new Sino Italiano Cultural Center inaugurated on 1 April 2021 at the presentation of Italian and Chinese authorities.