Immersive Reconstruction of the Samnite Culture through Extended Reality

This paper presents the survey and virtual reconstruction of 3rd-century BC “chamber-type” tombs discovered at Santa Maria Capua Vetere, on the southern slopes of Monte Massico. Photogrammetricbdocumentation of the surviving frescoes enabled the digital restoration of their architectural and decorativebelements, allowing visitors to re-experience the funerary environment as it once appeared. From theborthophotos of the interior walls, the paintings were analyzed and reconstructed to recover their original geometries and color schemes. Since the tombs are severely damaged and their wall paintings are nearly lost, the immersive virtual environment now serves as the only means to restore their ancient splendor and convey to contemporary audiences the sensory experience once evoked by the funerary rites. Through advanced visualization technologies, the project transforms archaeological data into a shared, meaningful space where users can engage with the world of the dead that ancient visitors encountered.