In collaboration with the Archaeological Parks of Paestum and Velia, Haltadefinizione, part of Gruppo Panini Cultura, offers an innovative and immersive experience with the Tomb of the Diver, a masterpiece of the 5th century BC and a unique example of ancient Greek funerary painting. The project opens up new ways to experience archaeological heritage through advanced technologies combining Gigapixel imaging, 3D scanning, and Mixed Reality.
The Tomb of the Diver, one of the most iconic symbols of the Paestum Archaeological Park, now takes center stage in a digital revolution. With a 360° viewer available online on the Haltadefinizione website, users can explore every detail with unprecedented precision. This Panini Cultura project is based on two acquisition campaigns: ultra-high-resolution documentation of the painted surfaces and the creation of a three-dimensional model. All the collected data was then integrated to create a complete, accessible, and extraordinarily realistic virtual reconstruction.
This virtual tour of the Tomb of the Diver was previewed last June on the Apple Vision Pro headset at the “We Make Future” fair in Bologna. It will be available again on November 1 and 2 at the Ministry of Culture’s booth at the 26th Mediterranean Archaeological Tourism Exchange in Paestum. This technology, the result of Panini Cultura’s commitment, enables an immersive experience that combines digital and physical elements, offering a new perspective for both visitors and scholars.
“The Tomb of the Diver is certainly one of the most iconic monuments of the Paestum Archaeological Park,” says Director Tiziana D’Angelo. “Its paintings are known throughout the world, yet Haltadefinizione’s digital twin manages to show them from a completely new perspective. Thanks to these innovative technologies, the images and their context are virtually recreated with realism and extreme accuracy, — offering visitors an engaging and fully accessible experience, and scholars new opportunities for research and analysis.”
Discovered in 1968 by archaeologist Mario Napoli, the Tomb of the Diver is preserved disassembled at the National Archaeological Museum of Paestum, the only way to display its famous paintings to the public. Today, thanks to its digitization by Gruppo Panini Cultura, these physical limitations are overcome, allowing anyone to explore the monument in its entirety and from every angle. This new form of access further enhances the value of one of the most important treasures of ancient culture.
This digitization project represents a step forward in making cultural heritage more accessible, innovative, and connected to the future, in line with Gruppo Panini Cultura’s mission to enhance the treasures of our shared history with the latest technologies.
