04/09/2025
The Future of Cultural Heritage Takes the Stage in Siena: from 8 to 12 September 2025, Palazzo San Niccolò at the University of Siena will become a global showcase of innovation: Digital Heritage Expo 2025 arrives, with over 500 m² dedicated to technologies transforming the way we experience culture.
Universities, research centers, and companies from several countries will present more than 20 exhibitions selected through an international call. Augmented reality, robotics, immersive projections, and artificial intelligence converge to tell the story of cultural heritage in new and surprising ways.
The initiative is supported by University of Siena, CNR-ISPC and Archeovirtual, with the contribution of Fujifilm.
Congress Chairs: Professors Stefano Campana (University of Siena), Sofia Pescarin and Daniele Ferdani (CNR-ISPC), Fabio Remondino (FBK), Gabriele Guidi (Indiana University), and Holger Graf (Fraunhofer IGD); Expo Chairs: Daniele Ferdani (CNR-ISPC), Sarah Kenderdine (EPFL), Augusto Palombini (CNR-ISPC)
The initiative is part of the 4th edition of the international congress “Digital Heritage”, a key event dedicated to sharing ideas, practices, and perspectives on how to document, preserve, enhance, and make cultural heritage accessible and understandable to those working or researching at the intersection of culture and technology, held in Siena (https://digitalheritage2025.unisi.it).
Seven Thematic Areas – A Journey into the Digital
Immersive Projections – when culture comes to life
From the seabed to the patterns of distant fabrics: A.R.M. makes underwater wrecks accessible through 3D models and multisensory video mapping; Woven Narratives brings Malaysian textile heritage to life through digital installations.
AR/VR/XR & Gamification – history as a game
Experiences that turn research and archives into digital adventures: from the University of Siena’s projects on connections between medieval Europe and Asia, to Living Stories, a platform for immersive and interactive museum tours.
PERCEIVE Project – rediscovering lost colours
From the European project PERCEIVE are presented the Science Demonstrators and Platform for colour studies and Isis’ Colours, digitally reconstructing the vibrant polychromy of the Temple of Isis in Pompeii.
CHANGES Project – manuscripts and collections in 3D
From the Codex Cospi, one of the rare pre-Columbian manuscripts, to the digital twin of the exhibition on Ulisse Aldrovandi in Bologna: fragile heritage brought back to life thanks to 3D.
Pepper’s Ghost – when illusion becomes knowledge
With Illuminated Manuscripts Hub, illuminated codices can be explored through optical effects, 4D models, and scenographic storytelling.
Spatial VR – inside and beyond museums
Immersive experiences that change the way we inhabit virtual space. Interlumo analyzes real-time XR interactions; HoloMask brings mixed reality into a lightweight, shareable headset; Museums in the Metaverse opens the doors to interactive museums created without coding.
Robotic Applications – robots serving art
The award-winning robotic arm CultArm3D (Fraunhofer IGD) autonomously captures 3D models of complex objects, opening new frontiers in the digitization of collections.
A Special Exhibition
At the heart of the Expo is the immersive exhibition “PERCEIVE Isis’ Colours”, organized by the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN) and CNR ISPC within the European PERCEIVE project. The exhibition invites visitors to rediscover the lost colours of the Temple of Isis in Pompeii through a journey combining scientific research, digital reconstructions, and multisensory storytelling.
An International Laboratory
Digital Heritage Expo 2025 is much more than an exhibition: it is a global laboratory where visitors can experience the technologies that will make tomorrow’s museums and collections more accessible, inclusive, and engaging.
Opening Hours
- 8 September 2025 | 14:00 – 18:30
- 9–12 September 2025 | 9:00 – 18:30
(free admission)
Venue: Palazzo San Niccolò, Via Roma 56 – Siena
Info: digitalheritage2025.unisi.it/expo
Ufficio stampa:
Sandra Fiore
Ufficio stampa Cnr
sandra.fiore@cnr.it
06/49933383
Responsabile Unità Ufficio stampa:
Emanuele Guerrini
emanuele.guerrini@cnr.it
ufficiostampa@cnr.it
06 4993 3383
Immagini:
