medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Thanks to Tom for sharing this information. I can't wait to use this
resource (and the one that will be out soon for York Minster), and I
wonder if other Cd-ROMs exist for other medieval sites -- anyone know?
We should all be grateful to Jay Hammond and Jim Ginther for such
exciting work.
George
--
George FERZOCO
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On 29 Jan 2007, at 15:07, Thomas Izbicki wrote:
> Theologians Use Video Game Technology to Create Virtual Tour of 13th
> Century Basilica
> Users can fly around structure and see famed frescoes up close
>
> ST. LOUIS -- Using technology typically associated with video games,
> two Saint Louis University theologians have created an interactive,
> three-dimensional tour of one of Europe's most important churches.
>
> Theology professors Jay Hammond, Ph.D., and James Ginther, Ph.D.,
> spent more than a year building the virtual version of Italy's
> landmark Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. Located two hours
> northeast of Rome in Assisi, the basilica is the third-largest
> pilgrimage site in the world, drawing more than 5 million visitors
> annually.
>
> Their three-dimensional model permits virtual tour-goers to walk
> nearly everywhere in the upper basilica, and even fly up close to the
> church's famed frescoes and beautiful stained glass windows.
>
> That's in stark contrast to most other virtual tours of historic
> buildings, which rely on 360-degree panoramas and offer limited
> interactivity. While some other projects have been equally advanced,
> the SLU professors' tour is one of the first to run on your home
> computer.
>
> "That's why we chose a game engine to build our model," Ginther said.
> "We wanted to ensure that the virtual basilica would run on the
> average PC, not just expensive computers that only universities can
> afford. Preservation has no meaning unless there is access."
>
> The virtual basilica uses controls and functions similar to the
> popular video games, such as "Quake" and "Doom," sans the fighting of
> course.
>
> "We're both educators, and we wanted this project to connect with
> young people," Hammond said.
>
> Based on laser-accurate measurements of the basilica, the virtual tour
> was built with approximately 4,000 photographs, all taken prior to a
> 1997 earthquake that blew out two sides of the basilica. Because the
> basilica's leaders do not replace artwork that has been destroyed, the
> disc offers a version of the church that cannot be seen today,
> including frescoes that are forever lost.
>
> The virtual tour is available on the newly released CD-ROM, "The
> Virtual Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi," through the Institute of
> Digital Theology, a non-profit foundation affiliated with Saint Louis
> University. Proceeds will fund research, similar digital projects and
> student scholarships.
>
> The CD-ROM also features maps of the basilica as well as guides for
> the frescoes, which were painted by some of the leading artists of the
> day. Users can click on any fresco to read about its historical and
> religious significance. All told, the tour features 175 links for
> additional information and a 35,000-word text. There also is an
> animated friar for scale.
>
> The CD-ROM is designed for Windows 2000/NT/XP. It is available for
> purchase on the institute's Web site, www.digitaltheology.org and
> Amazon.
>
> With the upper level of the basilica complete, the SLU professors will
> create similar virtual tours of the lower church, crypt and exterior
> gardens. In June, the duo will break ground on another major project:
> a virtual tour of York Minster in York, England, the largest Gothic
> church in northern Europe.
>
> The Institute of Digital Theology is a registered non-profit
> foundation, affiliated with Saint Louis University. Its mission is to
> support research and teaching in theological studies and related
> humanities disciplines through the creation of multimedia projects,
> Web-based databases and other electronic resources. Housed in the
> University's department of theological studies, the institute focuses
> primarily on the preservation of historical artifacts and texts that
> have significant religious or theological meaning.
>
> Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among
> the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters
> the intellectual and character development of more than 12,000
> students on campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818,
> it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second
> oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Through teaching,
> research, health care and community service, Saint Louis University is
> the place where knowledge touches lives. Learn more about SLU at
> www.slu.edu.
>
> ###
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