From Site to Story: A Virtual Archaeology Project in Arzachena (Sardinia, Italy)

Arzachena Civiltà Millenaria is a joint project between the Institute of Heritage Science of the Italian National Research Council (ISPC-CNR) and the Municipality of Arzachena (Sardinia, Italy), designed to bring the archaeological heritage of Arzachena to a global audience through interactive virtual exploration. Situated in northern Sardinia, the municipality of Arzachena is home to several significant prehistoric and Nuragic sites. This initiative leverages advanced 3D technologies to create accurate digital replicas and hypothetical virtual reconstructions of these sites, offering users a visual and interactive storytelling as well as engaging and immersive way to explore them. Through an interactive guide, published within the web portal of Arzachena Tourism, users can freely explore digitized sites enriched with informative panels and images. The guide is powered by ATON, an open-source Web3D framework developed by ISPC-CNR, which provides a scalable and modular platform for high-quality 3D visualization. Among the key features, Present-Past mode, is central for the communication potential, allowing users to switch between the current state of the sites and historically accurate reconstructions. The Arzachena Civiltà Millenaria project adopts a data-driven approach to heritage preservation and dissemination, bridging the gap between site’s reading and its public comprehension. This initiative not only enhances audience engagement but also fosters sustainable cultural tourism, encouraging visitors to explore beyond the Costa Smeralda and