The EPIC project will develop the Prato Metaverse, an immersive digital environment that allows users to explore the history and present of the city’s industrial heritage through various access points across the territory, such as the VR Museum, VR Rooms, and VR Corners.

The Prato Metaverse

The goal of this component of the EPIC project is to offer a digital and virtual tourism experience that enhances visitors’ real-life visits by integrating audiovisual, informational, and emotional content in an engaging and easily accessible way, with particular attention to people with disabilities.

The Prato Metaverse will combine virtual reality and conversational artificial intelligence, enabling visitors to interact multisensorially with an avatar guide and with digital replicas of real-world sites. Cutting-edge, low–environmental-impact technologies will drive the digital and green transformation of the sector, promoting sustainability awareness and fostering deeper and longer-lasting engagement between visitors and the territory.

Visitors will be able to access the Metaverse through 12 dedicated facilities, including 2 VR Rooms and 10 VR Corners. Thanks to this immersive technology, Prato will be able to expand its tourism appeal, offering the opportunity to experience the city virtually, anytime and from anywhere.

Campolmi Area VR Room

In the heart of the Campolmi area, inside the Campolmina—a 250-square-meter building owned by the Municipality of Prato that houses the city library and the Textile Museum—an immersive VR Room will be created. This space will be equipped with state-of-the-art digital infrastructure to access and experience content, becoming the central hub of the Prato Metaverse project.

Visitors will be able to explore the city virtually, moving freely among the 12 industrial sites and 5 cultural and natural sites featured in the Metaverse. They will also be able to visit the VR Museum and other digital environments developed by the project. A large LED wall will enable the viewing of 360° videos for groups of visitors, offering a shared and highly engaging experience.

Manifatture Digitali Cinema VR Room

A second immersive VR Room will be created at Manifatture Digitali Cinema (MDC), a cutting-edge facility dedicated to innovative services for film and audiovisual production. The building, owned by the Municipality of Prato and managed in collaboration with EPIC PP9 Fondazione Sistema Toscana, is a key hub for hosting film and television productions, training new professionals in the audiovisual sector, and providing advanced services to businesses.

With this investment, MDC will expand and be equipped with even more advanced technologies, extending its activities to support new initiatives and productions related to digital and immersive tourism.