“Warp Drive, Mr. Sulu”

The chapter focuses on the relationship between cultural heritage and digital heritage, and in particular on the peculiar characteristics of digital heritage derived from physical heritage. This kind of heritage poses technological and methodological knowledge and representation matters: It has own documental, historical, and aesthetic values, but it depends from tangible and intangible reality. Digital heritage cannot substitute physical heritage but keep and represent its values. Follows issues related to heritage digitalization, visualization, and transparency. In addition, the relationship with people has changed: They experience digital heritage with an aware cultural participation, and from the “marriage” between real heritage and its digital expression, new important potentialities rises.

Between Cuvier and Darwin

The chapter presents a reflection on the evolution of cultural heritage concept, from the second half of the 20th century until now, moving the attention from the distinction between natural and anthropic heritage to tangible and intangible matters. According to the line from postmodernism to new materialism, the idea of heritage reflects an evolving and inclusive cultural approach, where the notions of place and landscape combine tangible/intangible issues and participative involvement in heritage definition, keeping in mind problems of memory, integrity and authenticity.

Dr. Who's Police Box

According to the recommendations of international charters and documents—UNESCO, ICOMOS, Council of Europe, etc.—, the aim of the chapter is to present the concept of conservation and related matters. It is a general notion, a multifaceted and complex interdisciplinary process based on critical problems of knowledge, understanding, interpretation, presentation, sustainability, participation, and management. It reflects the evolution and complexification of the idea of heritage, where open-ended practices of involvement are aspects that are ever more important. In this context, the diffusion of digital technologies and methodologies, with the opportunities offered by ICT, favors the development of new advanced approaches for cultural heritage conservation.

Καλλιόπη or On Interpretation, Presentation, and Participation

The chapter underlines the peculiarities of architectural, and it focuses on specific methodological aspects, in particular related to historical studies and their aims. Advanced digital models for historical buildings are based on the synergy of 3D-modeling and database-modeling. In particular, documentation, surveying, computer based-visualization, virtual reconstructions, digital archives, and digital museums, as well as gaming, edutainment, and e-tourism approaches favor the development and diffusion of non-linear, multi-directional, and media complex storytelling for heritage study, interpretation, presentation, and conservation.