Virtual reality project takes visitors on a tour of ancient Rome as it looked in AD320
- The Rome Reborn VR tour takes in more than 7,000 restored buildings and monuments
- Future virtual tour activities will include training as gladiators and racing chariots
Gazing upon the splendours of ancient Rome is no longer a luxury reserved for visitors to the Italian capital, as temples opened their doors internationally with a digital project launched on Wednesday after decades of planning.
The Rome Reborn tour is the first to show users over 7,000 buildings and monuments from the year AD320, allowing both those with virtual reality goggles or just a computer to explore over 14 square kilometres (five-and-a-half square miles).
“I first came up with the idea in 1974. I was determined to find a way to bring these wonderful monuments to the world, but the technology didn’t exist then,” says the project’s director, digital archaeologist Bernard Frischer.
“We had to redesign the model three times as technology advanced, but 22 years after we began, and US$3 million later, we’re finally here,” he says.
