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Medieval Art Unlocked: Italy's Hidden Frescoes Revealed
8 Dec
Summary
- Piedmont's open culture initiative uses a free app to access medieval frescoes.
- Over 70 sacred art sites are now accessible via smartphone QR codes.
- The project aims to boost regional tourism and promote slow travel experiences.
A pioneering cultural initiative in Italy's Piedmont region is bringing to light centuries-old medieval frescoes housed within rural churches. The "Cultura a Porte Aperte" project, a collaboration between regional councils and the Fondazione CRT, employs a free smartphone app to grant access to over 70 sacred art sites.
Visitors can now book and enter these historic chapels using a simple QR code, unlocking multimedia narratives that provide historical and artistic context. This system makes previously inaccessible art, such as the 15th-century frescoes in Villafranca Piemonte's Santa Maria di Missione chapel, available for independent exploration.
The project not only preserves and showcases invaluable artistic heritage but also aims to stimulate regional tourism by promoting "slow travel." Organized into thematic itineraries, these accessible churches offer visitors a unique opportunity for spiritual reflection and cultural discovery, with plans to expand the initiative across Italy.
