Pula is one of the richest territories in history in the Mediterranean: the Phoenician, Punic and Roman city of Nora, the Spanish coastal towers, the places of worship of Sant'Efisio, the nineteenth-century historic center, the natural landscape of the Nora Lagoon and the Santa Vittoria Park represent a unique and fragile heritage.
The "3D Digitization Pula" project, carried out as part of the e.INS – Ecosystem of Innovation for Next Generation Sardinia program, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, was created with the aim of preserving, enhancing and making accessible to all this extraordinary heritage, thanks to the most advanced technologies of three-dimensional detection, virtual reality, augmented reality and immersive digital platforms.
The initiative aims to build a permanent digital archive, to support research, to facilitate tourist enjoyment and to promote sustainable management of cultural and natural heritage.
Aims of the project
The project pursues an integrated vision that combines protection, innovation and territorial development:
1. Digital preservation
Creation of high-fidelity 3D models of archaeological sites, monuments, artifacts and landscapes, to ensure their lasting documentation, assist restorations and protect them from natural and anthropogenic deterioration.
2. Accessibility and enhancement
Development of a dedicated online platform, with virtual tours, interactive historical reconstructions and informative content, also accessible to people with mobility difficulties or unable to physically visit the sites.
3. Education and research
Production of digital content for schools, universities and research centers. Students and researchers will be able to explore the sites in 3D, consult scientific models and analyze digitized artifacts.
4. Tourism promotion
Creation of immersive experiences in augmented reality and virtual reality to attract visitors and improve the cultural offer of the area, promoting responsible and innovative tourism.
5. Territorial development
Enhancement of heritage as an engine of local economic growth, promoting new opportunities for cultural operators, guides, creative and technological enterprises.
6. Environmental sustainability
Reduction of anthropogenic impact thanks to alternative digital routes, monitoring of the state of conservation of sites and enhancement of the Nora Lagoon as a sensitive ecosystem.
Digitized sites
The main places of historical, cultural and landscape value in Pula are subject to survey and digitization:
- Archaeological area of Nora
- Nora Lagoon and CEAS Center – Biodiversity Path
- Tower of Coltellazzo
- Church of Sant'Efisio (place of martyrdom)
- Pula Old Town and Traditional Architecture
- Archaeological Museum "Giovanni Patroni"
- Tower and Island of San Macario
- Santa Vittoria Park and Boggi Anti-Ship Battery
All acquisitions are carried out using 3D laser scanners, terrestrial photogrammetry, drone surveys, VR/AR models and microclimate monitoring systems.
Technologies used
- 3D laser scanning for maximum architectural precision
- High-resolution photogrammetry for surfaces, mosaics and artifacts
- Drones with LiDAR for complex mapping and natural areas
- Advanced digital modeling
- Virtual reality (VR) for immersive experiences
- Augmented reality (AR) to integrate in-situ reconstructions
- Dedicated web platform with interactive 3D viewer
- Environmental sensors for monitoring the state of conservation
Project partners
The project is carried out thanks to the collaboration between institutions, scientific bodies and cultural operators, ensuring integrated skills and a multidisciplinary approach.
Financing
The project is carried out as part of the e.INS – Ecosystem of Innovation for Next Generation Sardinia (MUR code ECS00000038) programme, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
Mission: M4 – Education and Research
Component: M4C2 – From research to business
Investment: 1.5 – Creation and strengthening of innovation ecosystems
Sub-project: UNISS – SPOKE 2
CUP: J83C21000320007
Expected impact
- Lasting digital preservation of cultural heritage
- Increased accessibility for students, citizens and researchers
- Development of an innovative and sustainable tourism offer
- Increased community awareness of the value of heritage
- Increase in the national and international visibility of the territory
The project represents a strategic investment in the future of collective memory and territorial identity. Through digitization, Pula becomes a laboratory of innovation, a replicable model for the enhancement of heritage and a cutting-edge cultural destination in the Mediterranean.
Heritage and platform
A three-dimensional digitization project to preserve Pula's historical and cultural heritage and make it accessible to all.
The "3D Digitization Pula" project, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, was created with the aim of preserving, promoting, and enhancing the archaeological, architectural, and landscape heritage of the Pula area.
Digitized heritage
Thanks to virtual reality and 360° tours, you can visit ruins, churches, and natural landscapes, rotate 3D models, zoom in on details, and obtain contextual information. Descriptive sheets provide insight into the historical and cultural context of the digitized sites, leading the user through the immersive experience of the 3D platform.
Digitized sites
The 3D models already available include Batteria Boggio, the Torre del Coltellazzo and the Church of Sant'Efisio.
Why Pula 3D?
Thanks to scanning and photogrammetry technologies, we preserve our heritage and make it accessible to scholars, schools, and visitors from around the world.
3D models, 360° tours, and VR content
Each site offers navigable models, virtual guided tours, and augmented reality reconstructions, accessible via web, mobile, and a dedicated app.
DEDICATED PLATFORM
All the project's virtual tours are collected in a single immersive platform, designed to explore the digitized sites of the Pula area in an integrated way through interactive 3D environments and panoramic tours.
PULA, where the past meets the future
Municipality of Pula
Focus Europe ETS
Project coordination and implementation, with support for promotion and communication in collaboration with the Municipality of Pula.
University of Sassari · UNISS SPOKE 2