Rome Trials Innovative Idea of Virtual Guided Tours
- Editor OGN Daily
- 16 minutes ago
- 2 min read
In a clever solution to overcrowding and site preservation in the Eternal City, the Colosseum Archaeological Park has a novel way for visitors to discover the wonders of the House of Griffins.
Named after a pair of white stucco griffins decorating an internal portico, the House of Griffins was constructed between the 1st and 2nd centuries BCE and was the opulent residence of a Roman aristocrat, but since its discover last century, has always been closed to visitors.
The building was located on the Palatine Hill - between the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus arena - the city’s top residential area for the Roman elite, but was demolished and buried to make room for Emperor Domitian’s palace.
The fact that the bottom floors were buried means that their frescoes, mosaics and stucco decorations have been preserved to an extraordinary degree - even though they are 2,000 years old - allowing the lucky few allowed to descend to the site to enjoy its artistry and opulence today. However, after being buried under soil for so long, the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling frescoes are sensitive to moisture and other contaminants. This fact made the House of Griffins only accessible to researchers, and ill-suited for mass visits.
So, how best to enable others to see its marvels? The lower floors are now opening to the public for the very first time via a guide with a smartphone mounted on their head. It's all part of the Eternal City's broader plan to draw visitors away from the most popular attractions.
“The Colosseum Archaeological Park thus expands its cultural offerings, making accessible a previously invisible, yet well-known and documented, site,” says the Park's director. “This achievement is made possible by the integration of archaeology and technology, which is increasingly destined to become the standard.”
Thus, a tour guide equipped with a head-mounted smartphone will walk through the space and provide live narration. Above, up to 12 people will be able to watch the tour from a vestibule near the site, enjoying the colourful mosaics that line the floors, while frescoes cover the walls. One of the eight surviving subterranean chambers includes green marble-tiled floors and even mirrors.
