Cultural Heritage: the future of our treasures, between video mapping and gamma rays

Innovation for the preservation of our cultural heritage

Maker Faire Rome 2025 is always attentive to projects that aim to protect our cultural heritage. From 17 to 19 October, innovation and art come together in the pavilion dedicated to cultural heritage. There are also the projects we tell you about here.

A window onto Renaissance Lucca

Elisa Guarino studies a 16th-century wooden inlay by the Pucci brothers, depicting a corner of Lucca that is still recognisable today. The work, which is preserved but little known, is a fragment of urban memory, engraved in wood with precision and craftsmanship. The project aims to promote and raise awareness of this piece of Renaissance heritage, offering a glimpse into the dialogue between art, city and history.

La Porta del Popolo (anciennement Porta Flaminia), porte antique de Rome faisant partie du mur d’Aurélien – Piazza del Popolo à Rome (Italie). credits Jean-Pol GRANDMONT https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porta_del_Popolo#/media/File:0_Porta_del_Popolo_(Rome).JPG

Porta del Popolo, a canvas for video mapping

Mario Baioli chose one of Rome’s historic gates as the canvas for his video mapping. The idea is to transform the façade of Porta del Popolo into a living screen, where light and images tell ancient stories using contemporary languages. Although the technical details are confidential, the intent is clear: to use digital art to enhance cultural heritage, creating a dialogue between stone and pixels, between memory and innovation.

Sentimental education and pedagogical collections

In a corner of Akihabara, Shige runs a small shop for makers. Behind the counter is a self-taught engineer who has turned soldering into a form of meditation. His Microcontroller Kit is an Arduino Uno-compatible board, but its strength lies not in its components: it lies in the process. Each kit must be soldered by hand. It is an experience of calm and concentration, a return to basics for those who want to really build, with their fingers and their minds. Shige believes that technology must be touched, understood and experienced. His shop has become a reference point for those seeking not only electronics, but meaning.

The power of gamma rays

Alessia Cemmi and the Enea team show how gamma radiation can be used to ensure food safety and preserve cultural heritage. Thanks to the Calliope facility, unique in Italy, the technology is applied safely and sustainably, dispelling prejudices about its dangerousness. From food treatment to the decontamination of historical artefacts, the project demonstrates the potential of a scientific approach that combines health protection and heritage preservation.