A CONTENT-BASED IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE OF BASILICA OF SANT'AMBROGIO IN MILAN: FROM 3D SURVEY TO VIRTUAL REALITY

Abstract. One of the challenges of the Digital Cultural Heritage (DCH) field is the creation of coherent HBIMs and the dissemination of the collected historical data. The latest development of new technologies has the great potential to realise virtual content-based immersive experiences that are easily available by both experts and non-expert users. On the other hand, they require specific skills and a holistic approach to the study of the building that involves different disciplines.

The research that has been carried out for the last five years on one of the greatest monuments in Milan, the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, adopted this comprehensive methodology. Although the church is a very well-known building, its turbulent history remains in a certain aspect hidden to the large public. This paper shows the workflow that has been developed for the Basilica, starting from the 3D survey to the historical data acquisition and the study on the church itself, based on a ‘virtual subtraction process’, till the creation of a Virtual Reality experience. This one is the first step of a wider project on eXtended reality (Virtual/Mixed/Augmented Reality) that intends to make the gathered knowledge of the Basilica available to the public.