Digitalizing experiential celebrations in the early modern civic space: A methodological investigation of augmented reality as an interpretative tool

This article investigates the methodological suitability of Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) to the recreation of early modern civic spectacles. These are presented as instances of controlled engagement of a (royal) user with a civic space temporarily ‘augmented’ by the engaging superimposition of structures, performances, and haptic experiences – hence fulfilling Ronald Azuma’s definition of AR. The writings of theorists of space and Cross Reality innovators provide the basis for a comparative discussion of practical applications of VR and AR in history-related fields (archaeology, history, education, and gaming and entertainment). For their methodological similarities to civic festivals in addressing the complexity of human experiences in augmented spaces, AR-based virtual reconstructions are demonstrated to be cognate and ductile investigative tools.