MusAR app brings augmented reality to Certosa di Calci museum

On July 26, the Museo nazionale della Certosa di Calci in Pisa launched MusAR, a free app for iOS and Android that combines art, music, and history using augmented reality. Developed by the Centro di Documentazione Musicale della Toscana (CeDoMus) in collaboration with the Regione Toscana and the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, the app focuses on the Certosa di Calci, a former monastery built by Archbishop Francesco Moricotti in 1366. Users can explore four key areas—library, chapter house, church, and sacristy—by scanning objects with their device camera to access historical information and, for example, hear sounds of musical instruments depicted in frescoes. A third function reveals the daily positions of monks who once lived there. Project lead Stefania Gitto stated the goal was to make musical heritage accessible to a wider audience using new technologies. The app was created with Filippo Bonechi and Francesco Geri of Sistemalab, and contributions from Angelo Teardo and Francesco Cipriani. Support came from Regione Toscana, particularly culture assessor Monica Barni and director general Roberto Ferrari. Gitto hopes to expand the pilot project to other cultural sites. The article also mentions other Tuscan digital initiatives, such as the Casentino communes' video-documentaries on the Annunciation theme via the WEGLINT app, and Florence's Firenze Game for children.