Improving Accessibility to Cultural Heritage: Integration of Extended Reality, Tactile Prints and User Experience Analysis for the Church of Madonna dell’Itri

The theme of accessibility is one of the most delicate aspects within the cultural heritage domain and can be approached in various dimensions, encompassing not only physical accessibility but also sensory and cognitive accessibility. This article presents the outcomes of the implementation of the ‘Intra l’Itri’ project, aimed to enhance the accessibility of the church of Madonna dell’Itri in Nociglia, Italy, using eXtended Reality (XR) technologies. The church harbours an ancient pictorial palimpsest with layers of historical significance, compounded by structural alterations over time. Funded by the Salento Interprovincial University Consortium (Consorzio Universitario Interprovinciale Salentino - CUIS 2020), the project engaged interdisciplinary collaboration involving the University of Salento’s Department of Engineering for Innovation and Department of Cultural Heritage, the Municipality of Nociglia, local companies, associations and professionals. Its objectives encompassed studying and conserving frescoes and the church’s structure, facilitating intelligent cultural immersion, enhancing visitor accessibility and fostering local identity. This contribution focuses on the developments of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) applications, digital restoration visualisation, as well as 3D and tactile prints. It presents results and findings from the test campaign, validating the digital strategy aimed to enrich the accessibility of this historically significant artistic site.