28 Int. J. Internet Technology and Secured Transactions, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2017
Copyright © 2017 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
A survey on the digital enhancement of the
archaeological sites on Google and a multimedia
pilot project in the Agrigento Valley of the Temples
in Sicily (Italy)
Elisa Bonacini
CVAST – Center for Virtualization and
Applied Spatial Technologies,
University of South Florida,
4202 E. Fowler Ave., 33620 Tampa, Florida, USA
and
Istituto Euro Mediterraneo di Scienza e Tecnologia (IEMEST),
Via Michele Miraglia, 20, 90139 Palermo, Italy
Email: e_bonacini@hotmail.com
Abstract: Aim of this paper is to offer a survey of the Google strategy on the
enhancement of the archaeological sites in the world and a preview of the pilot
project in progress at the UNESCO site Agrigento Valley of the Temples. We
managed to map all the area of the Temple of Juno Lacinia, which is now the
only Greek temple that can be visited online on a 360° tour on a Google
platform, browsable inside. Also some point of interest will be selected
which can be clicked and explored, taking captions with descriptive sheets of
architectural and decorative elements, capitals, columns, 3D reconstructions,
videos and aerial virtual tours realised with drones. They will be soon available
in Italian and in English languages and in audio mode. In the next future the
entire valley will be mapped and browsable in such a way.
Keywords: virtual heritage; digital heritage; digital archaeology; virtual
archaeology; virtual tour; Italian cultural heritage; Sicilian cultural heritage;
virtual museums; Google Street View; Google Cultural Institute; Google Arts
& Culture; democratisation of culture; virtual tourism; Italy.
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Bonacini, E. (2017) ‘A
survey on the digital enhancement of the archaeological sites on Google and a
multimedia pilot project in the Agrigento Valley of the Temples in Sicily
(Italy)’, Int. J. Internet Technology and Secured Transactions, Vol. 7, No. 1,
pp.28–50.
Biographical notes: Elisa Bonacini is an Archaeologist, with a PhD in
Humanities and Cultural Heritage, she is currently a Research Fellow. She is an
expert in cultural communication with ICT and social media.
This paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled ‘A pilot project
aerial street view tour at the Valley of the Temples (Agrigento): the 360° tour
of the temple of Juno Lacinia’, presented at Proceedings of Arquelogica 2.0,
8th International Congress Advanced on 3D documentation, modelling and
reconstruction of cultural heritage objects, monuments and sites, València,
5–7 September 2016.