ARVO: archivio digitale del Volto Santo. Le nuove tecnologie al servizio della ricerca storica

Abstract

The Digital Archive of the Holy Face is a constantly expanding platform that collects, catalogs, and publishes material about the Holy Face of Lucca, exploring its history, legend, and cult. Besides being an archive, ARVO is also an integrated research project that seeks to promote knowledge-sharing, an increasingly important factor in the field of human sciences. ARVO is based on the Open Access Model, a protocol adopted by a growing number of cultural bodies and used in various fields of knowledge. ARVO is a free-access archive that researchers, students, scholars, amateurs, and school institutions can safely rely on. It serves both as an archive and a library and aims to develop a different relationship with its users, with interactions mediated through the reference system. Whenever possible (in compliance with copyright and related owners' rights), ARVO provides access to digital copies of bibliographical items, manuscripts, ancient prints, and images related to the iconography of the Holy Face. ARVO is a continuously evolving project that also promotes research. As part of this effort, it has paved the way for the rediscovery of "Calzared'Argento," a previously forgotten work dedicated to the Holy Face, created by Ildebrando Pizzetti on a libretto by Riccardo Bacchelli. The archive also grants access to digitized images of the frescoes of Villa Buonvisi in Monte San Quirico, the only complete cycle inspired by the Holy Face still in existence. Lastly, the project supports education, having led to the creation of the first Italian workshop for young historians from high schools.