From 5 September to 5 December 2025 all visitors to Palazzo Sturm will be able to play “DigitArt 3D: The Ceramics of Giulia Caffo”, an interactive installation that combines cultural heritage, digital technology and storytelling.

The project “DigitArt 3D: The Ceramics of Giulia Caffo” was created by the Ca' Foscari University of Venice as part of iNEST – Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem – Spoke 6 "Tourism, Culture and Creative Industries" in affiliation with the University of Bolzano, the University of Trento, the University of Verona and the Fondazione Università Ca’ Foscari.

The installation, designed for a school-age audience but open to all visitors, will allow everyone to interact directly with some of the objects from Palazzo Sturm's ceramic collection by following the fictionalized story of Giulia Caffo - a noblewoman with a passion for ceramic art and mother of the famous Baron Giambattista Sturm von Hirschfeld, who gave his name to Palazzo Sturm and later donated it to the City of Bassano del Grappa.

The immersive game, playable with two interactive touch tables, is structured into three sections: “Giulia Caffo’s Story”, “Play with Ceramics” and “Interact with the Ceramics”.

Thanks to an accurate 360° digital reconstruction of the ceramics, the "Giulia Caffo's Story" section will offer users the opportunity not only to relive the noblewoman's story, but also to experiment with a selection of everyday ceramic objects from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The section is divided into five chapters, each enriched by a minigame such as "Paint the Objects" and "Find the Hidden Object", all designed both to entertain users and to introduce them to some of the works from the collection of the Museo della Ceramica Giuseppe Roi. Additionally, users can play the five minigames freely and directly in the alternative mode "Play with Ceramics".

Finally, players will be able to reach the “Interact with Ceramics” section at any moment in order to digitally interact with the highly accurate three-dimensional reconstructions, which will also provide information on their original manufacture and use.

In addition to digital interactions, users will be able to engage with physical reproductions of all the ceramics included in the game, created through 3D printing with relief designs. This will also allow blind and visually impaired visitors to enjoy them independently, in line with the mission of the Musei Civici of Bassano del Grappa to open themselves to the public as an increasingly accessible and inclusive place.

The interactive installation “DigitArt 3D: The Ceramics of Giulia Caffo” is promoted and organized by the Ca' Foscari University of Venice, the Municipality and the Musei Civici of Bassano del Grappa, and was born as a spin-off from the activities of the European Horizon project “Hephaestus, Heritage in EuroPe: new tecHnologies in crAft for prEServing and innovaTing fUtureS” and developed by Studio MACACO.  The physical 3D reproductions are made by FabLab Venezia.

 

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“DigitArt 3D: The Ceramics of Giulia Caffo”, how the interactive digital game works:

Through an interactive touch table, the user will interact with the screen using their fingers, as if they were using a large smartphone.

→ The game starts from a home screen where the user can select the language and press the “Start!” button.

→ Once the "Start!" button is pressed, the system will present the user with a simple anonymous questionnaire. After filling out the required fields, the user will be able to begin using all the game's features.

→ From the home page, the user can choose between the buttons “Giulia Caffo's Story”, “Play with Ceramics” and “Interact with the Ceramics”.

→ By pressing the "Interact with the Ceramics" button, the system will place the cabinet containing all the interactive ceramics in the center of the screen. The user can tap on any ceramic to observe and study it in detail. A description of the object will appear on the right side of the screen. The user can end the exploration by pressing the "Close" button to return to the previous screen.

→ By pressing the "Giulia Caffo's Story" button a new screen will open, allowing the player to choose which of the five story chapters to play. From there, the game will guide the player through each step to complete the chapter and its associated minigame. At the end of each chapter, the player will return to this screen and will be able to decide whether to continue with the next chapter or to return to the game's home screen.

→ By pressing the "Play with Ceramics" button, a new screen with a list of all the available minigames will open. The user can freely and directly play the five minigames. Each minigame includes a tutorial that explains how it works. At the end of each minigame, the user will return to this screen and will be able to decide whether to play another minigame or to return to the game's home screen.

→ The system automatically recognizes inactivity in the game several seconds after the last touch. In that case, it will return to the initial home screen, allowing the next user to begin a new adventure.