In the heart of Naples, the National Archaeological Museum's storage facilities are experiencing a technological explosion, with the digitization of over 30 finds including bronzes, terracottas, frescoes, and mosaics.
Financed by the PNRR, this massive initiative – set to continue until September – represents one of the boldest attempts to shake the dust off collections hidden in Italian warehouses, transforming forgotten treasures into glittering pixels accessible to the public.
Technologies that are shaking up the past
Leading this operation is a temporary association of companies, including Cns, Rear and Mida Digit of the Panini Cultura Group. The technologies used are mind-blowing: ultra-high definition images up to 4000 ppi, with flash lights, softboxes and whiteboxes that capture every little detail of texture, material and workmanship of the artifacts. “We are in the midst of an epochal transition – explains Luca Panini, co-founder of the Panini Cultura Group – The dynamics of the physical world are moving into the digital. Our task is to preserve digital cultural heritage with the same care reserved for physical ones. It is a work of precision, mechanics, light and photography. Almost a mission”. These innovations not only enhance previously unseen pieces, but also risk exposing the shortcomings of traditional cultural systems.
A leap into the future of museums
Le “forgotten collections, such as the figurative terracottas, will finally be catalogued and valorised, also with educational initiatives aimed at schools and scholars“, as stated by Massimo Osanna, Director General of Museums of the Ministry of Culture. “A small digital revolution is happening in our museums”, a statement that underlines how this project is not only an opportunity for the protection of heritage, but a potentially explosive model for other Italian museums, ready to digitize and disrupt the way we look at the past.
Article published on May 12, 2025 - 12:42 pm
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The article talks about a major project to digitize the finds but I don't know if it is really useful for the general public. Maybe there will be problems of access or understanding, more clarity on this is needed.