Virtuality and museums. Some suggestions from the Italian National Research Council

The Author retraces the history of virtual museums, from the earlier experiences at the beginning of the 1980s. The persistent idea of a "museum without walls", or "virtual museum", spread in Italy in the second half of the 1990s and acquired a prominent position in cultural heritage communication strategies. In this context, a leading role was performed by the Italian CNR. As far as archaeology is concerned, Virtual Reality applications mainly concern the reconstruction of ancient landscapes, the simulation of the original aspect of monuments, and the educational sector, through virtual "musealisation". This article is part of the First Supplement to the Journal "Archeologia e Calcolatori", entitled "Virtual Museums and Archaeology. The Contribution of the Italian National Research Council" and edited by P. Moscati. This special thematic issue was dedicated to the memory of Mauro Cristofani, ten years after his untimely passing.