Gradara lands in London, hits the jackpot in London, doesn’t go astray and returns victorious with a diorama in a van. The European International Festival of Historical War Game “Salute 51”, last Saturday awarded the first prize to the Municipality of Gradara, which was collected by the mayor Filippo Gasperi and the President of Gradara Innova, Federico Mammarella. The administration of Gradara presented to London the prototype of a playable scale model of the ancient Castrense town center of Gradara reconstructed, through archaeological research, as it might have appeared in the mid-15th century.
A jewel of technique, craftsmanship and historical research for the creation of which the Municipality of Gradara – promoting body – involved an international team formed by the University of Edinburgh – History Game Lab (executive support and development); University of Urbino – Department of Communication Sciences, Humanistic and International Studies, Teaching of Medieval Archeology (scientific direction of the team and archeology research of the advanced); Gradara Innova Srl (co-creators, communication and logistics); Oshiro Model Terrain (model creation); Masterstroke Games – Force of Virtue The Game (developers of the rules and scenarios) Alan & Thomas d’Amico (production and painting of miniatures); Gradara Youth Association (model management).
The initiative was financed by two calls for tenders from the Ministry of Culture on Next Generation EU funds (Call for accessibility to places of culture and Call for regeneration of small villages Line B). The diorama of the historic center reconstructs Gradara to represent one of the most important episodes that involved the fortified centre: the siege of 1446. It is a huge model, whose dimensions are 3.5 x 2.5 metres. It will be on display, and playable, in a room of the State Fortress of Gradara. Its purpose is to offer visitors the opportunity to interact with history. “If the museum must also be “enjoyable” – declared Stefano Brachetti, director of the Rocca di Gradara – why not associate it with gaming? Gaming is not empty entertainment but mental and physical training, a stimulus for research and reflection, a moment of comparison and of measuring one’s preparation. The association of the game with the museum is therefore not at all strange.”
“The playable model of Gradara – declared Gianluca Raccagni, Senior Lecturer of Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh – was born from the frustration of seeing scale models and dioramas in passive museums and shop windows. You cannot interact with them Our idea was to create an interactive diorama, you can touch it, you can play with it.”
“The teaching of Medieval Archeology at the University of Urbino is proud to participate in this gamification project – declared Daniele Sacco, professor of medieval archeology – a project which, through play, allows us to discover and understand a fascinating era : the Middle Ages. The results of this work align with the branch of the discipline called “participatory archaeology”, which aims to bring the public closer to history, through the sharing of data and research, in this case architectural archaeology.
“With this project – stated Filippo Gasperi, mayor of Gradara and Federico Mammarella, President of Gradara Innova – our municipality confirms itself as one of the most enterprising realities in the sector of recreational teaching. Gradara and gaming represent a consolidated combination that has now become integral part of our identity”.
