Virtually preserving the intangible heritage of artistic handicraft

Artistic handicraft is considered to all intents and purposes an important part of Cultural Heritage. The idea of creating a multimedia platform to communicate the tradition of artistic handicraft in Lucchesia (Tuscany, Italy) was born in order to preserve the memory of activities which have contributed in defining this region in terms of history, culture, peculiarity and quality of its products. The town of Pietrasanta, in particular, is well renowned for its artisans, who have been handing down ancient practices for ages, especially in the workmanship of marble and bronze. Our project aims at the valorisation and the communication of the bronze "investment casting" ancient technique through a 3D virtual interactive platform. This platform offers therefore a contribution to preserve this heritage and its memory, by means of a virtual experience inside the processes and the places where bronze sculptures are made. Users can follow from the beginning how such an artwork is created, dwelling on each step of the creation process and analyzing in details its main points. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.