Património Cultural 360

The Conservation and Restoration (DCR) and Computer Science (DI) departments, in collaboration with the VICARTE – Glass and Ceramics for the Arts and NOVA LINCS – Laboratory for Computer Science and Informatics research centres, are playing a central role in the ambitious Cultural Heritage 360 project.

Valued at more than 11.7 million euros and part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), this project aims to safeguard and democratise access to the country’s cultural heritage by making it available online in innovative formats.

The project, which was presented on 16 January 2025 at the National Archaeology Museum in the Jerónimos Monastery, was attended by the Secretary of State for Culture, Maria de Lurdes Craveiro, who highlighted the impact of the initiative on the preservation and dissemination of Portuguese culture, as well as increasing consumption of cultural activities and attracting new audiences.

By December, the initiative will have made available online:
– 12 film-documentaries;
– 65 virtual tours;
– 2D and 3D scans of 59,500 movable cultural objects from 65 museums, monuments, palaces and archaeological sites under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture.

The project is funded by measure ‘C04-i01-m02 – Digitisation of Arts and Heritage’ of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), and aims to help modernise the technological infrastructure of public cultural facilities in Portugal and promote their digital transition.
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Currently, more than 20,000 digitisations have been produced and it is possible to follow the ongoing process via the Making Of – Cultural Heritage 360 website.

The success of Cultural Heritage 360 is guaranteed by the work of a multidisciplinary team of more than 50 specialists, including teachers and researchers from the Faculty of Science and Technology at NOVA University Lisbon (NOVA FCT), coordinated by Nuno Correia (DI) and Márcia Vilarigues (DCR).

The Departments of Conservation and Restoration (DCR) and Computer Science (DI) play crucial roles in this project, with highly qualified professionals and researchers in the fields of conservation and restoration, photography, 3D modelling, graphic design, computer science, and social and human sciences.

VICARTE contributes its experience in conservation, restoration and heritage sciences, while NOVA LINCS supports with technological solutions in 3D modelling, graphic design and computer science, promoting interdisciplinarity and innovation in the cultural and technological context. The participation of NOVA FCT, through its departments and research centres, demonstrates the Faculty’s commitment to driving innovation and interdisciplinarity, contributing to the preservation and promotion of Portuguese cultural heritage in a digital age, and reaffirming its position as a benchmark in research and innovation applied to heritage sciences and technologies.