Volusii's and Livia's Villas. From the digital acquisition on the field to novel approaches in interactive storytelling inside VR environments

The chapter deals with the archaeological sites of Volusii's Villa and Livia's Villa, the most relevant roman villas in the medium Tiber Valley North of Rome. The methodological approach followed will be presented, along the complex pipeline leading from the digital acquisition on the field to the interpretative studies, preliminary to the 3D reconstruction of the in Augustan age, up to real time optimization, the choice of narrative solutions and interaction design for final communication. Spectacular permanent VR installations have been created in the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia and in the National Roman Museum of Diocletian's Baths, both in Rome, where an innovative approach in interactive storytelling has been experimented, characterized by the use of gesture-based interaction and contamination of different media. Archaeological and historical context are used as scientific background to build an engaging story, guiding the users through a multisensorial experience.