The Divine Comedy in VR: Purgatory, an Immersive Journey

Today, technology enables immersive exploration of Cultural Heritage, fostering increased user engagement. Notably, Virtual Reality (VR) experiences stand as exemplars of such engrossing encounters, defined by their capacity to elicit both physical and psychological engagement. ETT elected to transform an Italian masterpiece, The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, into a Virtual Reality visual experience. This creation, entitled The Divine Comedy VR: Purgatory - an immersive journey, is a short cinematic production. It guides the visitor into the ethereal realm of Dante’s afterlife, complemented by a meticulously rendered voice-over that philologically narrates the historical text. The construction of the Purgatory setting employs cutting-edge technologies encompassing CGI, Motion Capture, and post-production image enhancement. These elements collectively weave images designed to recapture the metaphorical essence embedded within the book. Crucially, this project does not endeavour to supplant traditional reading with a technological tool. Instead, its overarching objective is to introduce a distinct approach to the written word, extending its accessibility to a broader and more diverse audience.