The Eternal City launches a virtual reality tour that lets you see what the most important monuments looked like in the Imperial era
Those who, when visiting Rome, complain that monuments such as the forums are nothing more than a heap of broken stones are no longer justified. From this Wednesday it will be possible to book tickets for a very special tourist route: it is a minibus that allows you to admire through the 3D virtual reality system directly from the car windows how some of the great architectural jewels of Ancient Rome, such as the Colosseum, the Circus Maximus, the Palatine Hill, the Theater of Marcello and the aforementioned forums. For 15 euros and lasting half an hour, this route takes the visitor on a journey through time in which he enjoys a multisensory experience, as in addition to the sight, the smell is also stimulated, as can be taken in the vehicle some of the own scents of ancient Rome.
“It’s something extraordinary. Thanks to a technology that has not been used until now, images can be viewed in perfect synchronization, seeing not only what the monuments and their colors were like, but also their surroundings in the 3rd century AD,” he explained in the presentation of the project the Mayor of the Italian capital Roberto Gualtieri Miguel Gotor, Councilor for Culture of the City Council, emphasized that this initiative has the support of the Archaeological Superintendent of Rome, who guarantees that the 3D reproductions of the monuments are in accordance with the studies of the experts. “All images have been validated by archaeologists,” said Gotor, for whom this immersive experience will be a new attraction to attract tourists to the Eternal City and help them understand the grandeur of the ancient imperial capital .
Rome’s ‘VR bus’ (virtual reality bus) does not require users to wear 3D glasses or any other type of device, as all the technology is contained within transparent screens that go up and down the windows like a curtain and let you enable to observe the virtual scene faithfully reproduced on the current image. The experience is as fascinating as it is educational. To give it more realism, this system is equipped with satellite geolocation so that the projection is synchronized with the movements of the bus. The turns, braking, acceleration and even potholes are reflected in the images, increasing the degree of realism and giving a full sense of movement through the streets of ancient Rome. The music and the use of the scents typical of that time contribute to increasing the emotionality of the experience.
Giorgio Capaci, CEO of Invisible Cities, the company that launched the project, emphasized that Rome is the first city in the world where you can enjoy this initiative, which he hopes will soon be expanded to other tourist destinations. “Virtual reality is becoming a new way of communicating,” he ventured, emphasizing how difficult it is to incorporate all this technology into a minibus that, at first glance, is no different from a normal bus. Tickets can be purchased through the website vrbusroma.it.
Source: La Verdad
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