The Church of Sant’Andrea della Valle in Rome between Pictorial Tradition and Technological Innovation

Sant’Andrea della Valle Church, one of the most significant examples of Roman Baroque, has been the focus of an innovative digital enhancement project of its pictorial apparatus, promoted by the Order of Clerics Regular Theatines and realized by Janus s.r.l., a startup of Sapienza University of Rome. Through the acquisition of ultra-high resolution gigapixel images, an interactive archive has been created, accessible via a touch table. This platform allows the public not only to explore every iconographic and stylistic detail of the decorations but also to delve deeper into their artistic and theological meanings through textual descriptions. The project is part of the tradition of ekphrasis, reinterpreted in a contemporary key: the descriptive power and accuracy of digital representations amplify the visual experience, making tangible the unity between iconographic and visual representation. The contribution analyzes the methodological choices, the technical challenges, and the results obtained, highlighting how innovative tools can foster a deeper understanding of artistic heritage and stimulate new interdisciplinary approaches in the fields of representation, architectural history, and cultural heritage communication.