A virtual tour of Piazza dei Miracoli M.Carrozzino 1 , F.Tecchia 1 , M.Bergamasco 1 , A. Brogi 2 1 PERCRO – Scuola Superiore S.Anna, Pisa, Italy – marcello,franco,bergamasco@sssup.it 2 DICO – Università degli studi di Milano, Italy – andrea@xlab.it Abstract – This paper presents the results of a project aiming to the development of an innovative web site related to the famous monumental complex Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa. The website includes an innovative section containing an advanced Virtual Reality application, making use of a state-of-the-art 3d web technology. In this application users are able to explore the space and the history of the monumental complex. 1. Introduction In June 2001, in concurrence with the reopening of the leaning Tower, Opera Primaziale Pisana and Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Pisa, in cooperation with Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento Sant'Anna and Scuola Normale Superiore, launched a large-scale multi-media project on the Piazza del Duomo of Pisa: a system to safeguard, enhance the value, manage and provide information on the monumental complex. The system addresses a wide range of audience, at national and international level: experts and researchers in several subjects (art history, architecture, urban planning, history, epigraphy, restoration, conservation of cultural heritage), art amateurs, teachers and students, tourists and visitors, Internet users in general. Everything was structured into different levels of information, each intended for a precise audience profile. The project, named Torredipisa e PiazzadeiMiracoli (from now on: TP) was conceived to achieve the following objectives: to foster research and to become a benchmark in the field of cultural heritage and restoration, trough a medium and long term project, that would permit to carry out analyses with more and more innovative methods; to become an environment for discussion and scientific knowledge dissemination for schools and general public; at the same time, to enhance the city's image, in particular the image of the Opera Primaziale, because of its commitment to enhance the value of the precious historical and artistic heritage of the Piazza del Duomo; to find out and test the most appropriate communication methods, and especially the innovative application of information technologies to teaching purposes: in particular the web and virtual reality, off-line and on-line, which consists of 3D navigable models that interact with computer devices, for the understanding of the historical development of the monumental complex. Fig. 1 - The website of Piazza dei Miracoli