In the year marking the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis, the Basilica of Assisi stands at the centre of a major comprehensive digitization initiative. Through the project Preserving Assisi, Haltadefinizione and the General Custody of the Sacred Convent of Saint Francis are carrying out the digital transformation of the entire monumental complex. The resulting content will converge into a dedicated digital platform.
Launched in 2025, Preserving Assisi is being developed through progressive campaigns of acquisition and online publication of the digitized artworks. The first activities have already delivered concrete results, including the 360° virtual viewer of the Upper Church, which offers a preview of the overall intervention. Through the viewer, users can zoom in and focus on individual details of the scenes painted by Giotto in the Stories of Saint Francis cycle. This represents an initial glimpse of what will be possible when the entire monumental complex can be explored in 360 degrees - immersing visitors in each space and entering every painted scene down to the smallest brushstroke.
Digitization campaigns will continue throughout 2026 in order to systematically document the entire Basilica, from its external areas to its interior spaces, including the painted cycles by Giotto, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and the masters of the 13th century. The acquisitions combine ultra-high-resolution photography and three-dimensional surveys, with the aim of recording morphology, colour, state of conservation and the material qualities of the surfaces.
The high quality of the data produced constitutes the foundation of the project. In Preserving Assisi, digitization becomes a tool for safeguarding a centuries-old heritage of art, faith and history. Producing accurate images and models today means providing the Basilica with a stable reference over time for study, monitoring and potential restoration interventions.
The 3D models and gigapixel images will form the core of the Preserving Assisi platform - an accurate and verifiable digital infrastructure designed to endure over time. Completion of the project is scheduled for October 2026, when the full digital corpus of the Basilica will be made available.
Preserving Assisi is an ongoing project developed through a formal joint participation agreement between Haltadefinizione, a tech company of Gruppo Panini Cultura, and the General Custody of the Sacred Convent of Saint Francis of the Conventual Friars Minor. It is carried out under the patronage of the National Committee for the Celebrations of Saint Francis and the Umbria Region, in collaboration with the University of Florence.
