L'Italo-Americano

LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano A s c l i m a t e change, natural d i s a s t e r s , a n d t h e e r o s i o n o f time continue to threaten historic landmarks around the world, digital technology is emerging as a powerful ally in the preserva- tion of cultural heritage. In the ancient Tuscan town of Volterra, home to Roman, Etruscan, and medieval won- d e r s , t e c h n o l o g i e s l i k e d r o n e s , p h o t o g r a m m e t r y , and laser scanning are being deployed to protect, recon- s t r u c t , a n d r e i m a g i n e t h e city's rich architectural lega- cy. At the heart of this initia- tive lies a collaboration that began in October 2016 when a team of researchers and professionals set out on a mission to digitally preserve Volterra's artistic, architec- t u r a l , a n d a r c h a e o l o g i c a l t r e a s u r e s . T h a t d i s c o v e r y brought new urgency to this mission, and since then, a collaboration between the Volterra-Detroit Founda- t i o n , t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Detroit Mercy, and other institutions has been work- ing to document and digitally reconstruct key parts of the city. The Foundation, which f o s t e r s c u l t u r a l e x c h a n g e between Detroit and Volter- ra, has established a perma- nent base at the Internation- a l R e s i d e n t i a l C o l l e g e , offering students and profes- sionals hands-on access to Volterra's historical riches. The closing night of the e x h i b i t i o n V i s i o n s o f V o l t e r r a a t t h e I t a l i a n I n s t i t u t e o f C u l t u r e i n W e s t w o o d o f f e r e d a f i n a l chance to view the exhibition but also served as the pre- miere for Voices of Volter- ra, a short documentary by C h i c a g o - b a s e d f i l m m a k e r Marcus Aubin. The film f o l l o w s l o c a l r e s i d e n t s , a r t i s t s , a n d t e c h n o l o g i s t s w h o a r e a l l c o m m i t t e d t o keeping the spirit and struc- ture of the city alive. Aubin, along with Tristan Randall, Strategic Projects Executive for Autodesk's AEC division, j o i n e d a d i s c u s s i o n a b o u t h o w c u t t i n g - e d g e d i g i t a l tools are preserving Volter- ra's timeless charm. We sat down with direc- t o r M a r c u s A u b i n t o t a l k about the project, the power of digital preservation, and the stories that moved him most. What is the main goal of having this digitized version of Volterra? There are two main goals. The first is to capture and preserve the city in a specific moment in time. Not every- one gets the chance to visit a place like Volterra, but this a l l o w s p e o p l e f r o m a n y - where in the world to expe- rience it, especially if they love Italian culture and his- t o r y . T h e s e c o n d g o a l i s preservation in case of dis- aster. For example, on May 5, 2024, part of a medieval wall in Volterra collapsed. The data we collected from t h e w o r k s h o p h a s b e e n i n s t r u m e n t a l i n h e l p i n g accurately reconstruct that w a l l , d o w n t o t h e f i n e s t architectural detail. Volterra is in a seismic zone: it faces landslides, earthquakes, and other natural risks. Having d e t a i l e d , h i g h - r e s o l u t i o n data of the city's buildings is i n v a l u a b l e f o r r e s t o r i n g things as faithfully as possi- ble if something ever hap- pens. Can people access this d i g i t a l m a t e r i a l f r o m anywhere, like from Los A n g e l e s ? O r i s i t o n l y available in Volterra? Absolutely, you can access it from anywhere. In fact, a lot of recent work has been focused on making this data more accessible to the gen- eral public. The team is col- l a b o r a t i n g w i t h U n r e a l Engine and Epic Games – which provided a grant – to create an interactive experi- ence … kind of like a video g a m e . I n t h i s i m m e r s i v e environment, you'll be able to walk through Volterra as it existed in different eras: t h e E t r u s c a n p e r i o d , t h e Roman Empire, the Renais- sance, and the Medieval age. You'll explore streets, build- ings, and public spaces as t h e y l o o k e d h u n d r e d s o r even thousands of years ago. F r o m w h a t I ' v e s e e n , i t ' s very promising. Hopefully, it'll be something you can download and explore on a PC or even VR. In your documentary, you interviewed several a r t i s t s t r y i n g t o k e e p Volterra alive, especially since many young peo- p l e a r e l e a v i n g . W a s there someone who had a particular impact on you? Yes, Nico Bruchi really stood out. He's one of the first people we see in the film and one of the last, giv- i n g h i m a f u l l - c i r c l e a r c . Nico's a graffiti artist and a skateboarder, which is very u n u s u a l i n a p l a c e l i k e Volterra. There aren't many spaces for that kind of con- temporary self-expression. What struck me is how his relationship with the city evolved. He left Volterra for a while, but eventually came back and realized how much he loved the city that shaped h i m . N o w , h e ' s c r e a t e d beautiful murals all over the city, including one we high- light in the film. His story shows that even if a place doesn't seem to fit you at first, you can return, reimag- ine it, and contribute in your own way. One of the artists you met was Ilaria Brotini, a young alabaster sculptor w h o w a s n ' t o r i g i n a l l y from Volterra. How did you find out about her? T h a t m e e t i n g w a s s e r e n d i p i t o u s . W e w e r e walking with our guide, pop- p i n g i n t o s h o p s , a n d w e knew we wanted to talk to someone who worked with alabaster, Volterra's signa- ture material. We stepped into a workshop and were s u r p r i s e d t o f i n d I l a r i a there. Our assumption was that most alabaster workers were older men, so meeting a y o u n g w o m a n w h o h a d moved to Volterra to prac- tice her craft was unexpect- ed and inspiring. Her story really ties the film together. At the beginning of the doc- u m e n t a r y , s o m e o n e s a y s there are no young people left, that the city is in the h a n d s o f t h e e l d e r l y . B u t then you meet Ilaria, who came to Volterra specifically because it's a hub for art. She didn't grow up there, but she made it her home because it's the best place for her work. That says a lot about the city's continuing appeal and artistic energy. Tell us more about the workshop and the uni- versity's role. The university offered its former dormitory building t o t h e V o l t e r r a - D e t r o i t Foundation as a home base. With fundraising and reno- vations, it's now a perma- nent home for the Founda- t i o n , a n d i t h o u s e s t h e participants of the annual workshops. Each year, tech- n o l o g i s t s f r o m d i f f e r e n t fields – architecture, city planning, landscape design, video game development – come together in Volterra to contribute to the preserva- tion project. It's become a vibrant center for cultural exchange and interdiscipli- nary collaboration, where tradition meets innovation. What do you person- a l l y l o v e m o s t a b o u t Volterra? The feeling I get when I'm there. It's hard to describe, but it's peaceful and inspir- ing. You can walk across the entire city in under an hour; it's compact, walkable, and filled with art. Everywhere you go, there's creativity: sculptures, shops, music, a n d h i s t o r y . A s a n a r t i s t myself, I can definitely see myself living there someday, maybe when I'm older… or even sooner. It's just a gor- g e o u s , p i c t u r e s q u e p l a c e that feels alive with culture. SILVIA NITTOLI How digital tools are helping save Volterra's cultural heritage Left, Volterra is a town rich in artistic tradition and beauty (Photo: Brandon Hoeg); right, Aubin in Volterra during filming.

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