A journey of valorisation from the sacred to the secular. The oratory of sant’antonio abate in the village of mele (Genoa-Italy)

Abstract

The Oratory was the expression of a community that, even with its strong sense of identity and wealth (deriving from the profitable local paper mills and ironworks), felt the need for a symbol, which could represent them; a morally enlightening space, spiritually transcendent, and socially prestigious. The development and the creation of the project allowed professionals in the fields of Restoration, Drawing, and Informatics to work together but mainly it created the opportunity to become acquainted with an ancient collective devotional culture, which has an undeniably fundamental value from an historical and anthropological point of view. The goal was to develop a mobile application which does not incorporate the use of 3D models, but was easily accessible by the visitor. Inside the app, information sheets and images of detail offer a more thorough understanding of Oratory, also thanks to using special sensors (Beacon) and graphic symbols (QRcode).