The Paleontological Heritage as a Mean for Territorial Revitalization: Innovative Communication Modalities for Pietraroja Site (Southern Italy)

This study was carried out with a multidisciplinary approach to define a method for improving territorial revitalization through enhancing the paleontological heritage, highlighting potentialities in promoting territorial valorization, particularly for inner areas. The methodology is applied to the Pietraroja site in the Campania region, which was selected because of its large scientific significance for palaeontology and geology. The Pietraroja site (Benevento) is universally known as the place in which the fossil of a small dinosaur, Scypionix samniticus, was found. This study mainly aims to broaden the fruition of the Pietraroja site by designing and creating immersive digital environments allowing for remote access from all over the world via the Internet. In this regard, innovative technologies such as virtual reality, mixed reality, and augmented reality have been utilized to set up digital spaces for visitors who can explore the features of the cultural site and appreciate its high cultural value. The adoption of these new technologies represents the way to propose to the public the cultural contents of the Pietraroja site and to tell the story of the formation of the place.