From the historical – archaeological point of view, the Adriatic sea has been an unique basin, for millennia the priority transport link for the peoples living on the seashore. Their transit left numerous traces in the seabed of the areas concerned by these ancient commercial routes, and ruins of landing places, harbors or inhabited villages by the sea remain. This peculiarity allows us, through the synergy offered by the Interreg programme, to propose the cultural improvement as a strong point towards the local development; such development would mainly be directed to the economic upgrading of the affected areas. The project aims at applying on sample areas (maritime landscapes of Torre Santa Sabina, Grado, Resnik/Siculi, Venice lagoon and sea) a methodological and technological protocol based on research/ knowledge and development/ communication of an underwater archeological site that is complex and multi-stratified, characterized by strong diversity. The project’s objective is therefore to transform the site into an underwater archaeological park (or eco-museum) through innovative and/or experimental methodologies and techniques in order to try to reduce the loss of important cultural heritages as well as to guarantee an economic spin-off deriving directly from the creation of a sector linked to the tourist-cultural promotion of the context of reference. UnderwaterMuse will target local communities as long-term keepers of vitality at tourist destinations, promote co-creative partnerships among tourism and cultural actors, public decision makers, creative companies, associations of citizens, facilitating exchange of information. An immersive VR approach renders underwater sites accessible to a wider public, including people with different kinds of disabilities. Building capacity for professionals already working in this field will help them adapt to a “museum for all” concept, in spite of limited organizational or financial resources. Training diving guides will improve the immersive experience of underwater sites. Regional action plans will enhance environmental management and preservation of coastal areas harbouring those sites. Based on the gained experience, an innovative promotional GIS tool, the ‘UnderwaterMuse MAP’ for promoting underwater sites with accessibility standards, will be developed. The ‘UnderwaterMuse MAP’ will be promoted at transnational, national and local level, in the Adriatic and beyond, thus guaranteeing its sustainability and transferability during and after its implementation. The interdisciplinary partnership from 4 different regions will carry on pilot actions focusing on transform sites with a strong potential as experience-based tourist destinations testing a sustainable tourist offer in areas less interested by major tourist flows.
In August 2021, we worked on the pilot project Grado 2, located at a depth of 19 meters at 7 miles from the shore. The amphoras of the cargo belong to a family of containers used for the transport of wine and known as "ancient Greek-Italic amphorae", produced between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. in southern Tuscany, Lazio, southern Italy, Sicily and on the Adriatic side of the peninsula. The chronology of the containers, second half of the third century BC, is extremely interesting: it would be the oldest cargo of amphorae in the north-central Adriatic, moreover prior to the foundation of the colony of Aquileia (181 BC).
The project wants to promote and enhance the site through the design of underwater archaeological trails and the creation of innovative digital solutions for its use, such as virtual and augmented reality.
Explore the virtual reality and dive by yourself
into Grado 2 shipwreck or Brick's shipwreck.
Click on the download button, follow the link and download the file.
Unzip the folder and play Grado2.exe from a personal computer.
Enjoy the dive !
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