Reconstruction of a Roman
luxury residence on Lake Benacus
This website presents an online reconstruction of the Grotte di Catullo, which you can “walk through” on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, just as if you were in a virtual open-air museum. The primary goal of the project is to convey knowledge through visualization to foster a better understanding of this monument, which is as complex as it is fascinating. Even for experts, interpreting the Grotte di Catullo is not always easy, because the architecture once spanned four to five stories, of which only the cellar vaults and a few foundation walls of the ground floor remain today.
In my virtual project, the model views of the present-day ruins and those of the reconstruction are superimposed directly on top of each other. A navigation point on the ground keeps both views linked at all times, allowing you to “move” through either the present or the past and switch between the views at any time. Numerous texts, plans, video clips, and audio recordings are designed to help reconstruct and explain this once-magnificent palace in a way that is understandable even to the layperson.
A Brief Tour of Architectural History
Around the Grotte di Catullo, as I Have Reconstructed It
Technically well executed
What makes this project special—indeed, downright unique—remains hidden from most people: namely, the fact that it’s actually impossible to make an area of nearly 7 hectares “explorable” in a way that resembles a video game—allowing a tour to be started without any complicated setup from any smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop PC instantly and from anywhere. I spent years researching, experimenting with, and refining this puzzle. And the end result is impressive: optimized loading processes, zoom effects, and many other VR techniques create the illusion of a three-dimensional space through which you seem to “move.” The only requirement is a reasonably strong internet connection, but these days you can find that almost anywhere—even at the Cape of Sirmione.
Endless Expanses
7 hectares of virtual space
are waiting for you to visit.
And there’s plenty to discover.
Great explanation
Simple explanations that are
easy to understand from an
archaeologist & building researcher
See what an archaeologist sees
Every architectural reconstruction is based on a prior interpretation of the remains of a building. And that is often where the root of the problem lies. For understanding a ruin, it is not enough simply to hand the viewer a reconstructed floor plan. The viewer must also be able to understand how archaeologists arrived at their interpretation of the reconstructed floor plan based on the surviving wall remains. My short video on the left shows you how the complete floor plan of a building can be reconstructed from the surviving ruins.