Giuseppe Vasi's Rome: Lasting Impressions of the Grand Tour

This is a multi-touch proof of concept video for an exhibition at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art on the University of Oregon campus opening in September of 2010. The Microsoft Surface application presents Rome during the Age of the Grand Tour through the eyes of Giuseppe Vasi, an extraordinary18th century artist of urban landscapes. His 10 volumes of city views, the Magnificenze di Roma (the Splendors of Rome) are carefully located--geo-referenced--within the city aided by the 1748 Map of Rome by Giambattista Nolli, a contemporary architect and master cartographer. The Surface will promote in depth study of Rome by visually integrating the work of these artists and then comparing them with modern day photography and satellite imaging. This unique digital experience will reveal Rome over her long history providing a rich learning environment for diverse audiences. This video captures how visitors might use such a device.

The full extent of the 1748 Map of Rome by Giambattista Nolli is shown on the Surface multi-touch table. Clearly visible are the main features of the city, including the dense historic center, the ancient wall circuit and the Tiber River winding its way through the the city. At the bottom of the screen a filmstrip reveals all 238 views of the city engraved by Giuseppe Vasi from 1747 to 1761. The video unfolds to show how each of these views will be referenced to the Nolli map through an interactive touch process that allows users to explore Rome street by street with an intuitive hands on approach.

The fade feature shows how these combined images can easily transform on Surface with a touch of the hand from historic views to contemporary views and back again. To facilitate comparisons, the satellite image has been carefully geo-rectified with the Nolli map allowing one to contrast the existing city to its 18th century origins. In a similar manner, contemporary photographs appear in the filmstrip that correspond directly to Vasis views from 250 years ago. These vivid juxtapositions make clear how Rome has evolved over the centuries.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Nolli