Italy’s Aldo Moro University has undertaken steps to promote and revive Puglia’s cultural heritage beyond the conventional ways, using the metaverse. Puglia is known for its whitewashed hill towns, centuries-old farmland, and hundreds of kilometres of Mediterranean coastline.

As a part of this initiative, the first ‘digital library of Italian culture’ will be created using non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The first step of this operation took place on May 26 in Bari, at the Santa Teresa Dei Maschi complex.The event on May 26 concluded with the auctioning of the non-fungible tokens and the presentation of an NFT specimen to University Rector Stefano Bronzini as a symbolic protector of this beautiful region’s physical and digital culture. This is the first time in the world that the most iconic cultural works of Puglia are set to be simultaneously digitised and brought into the NFT world.
The above initiative is accompanied by the Apulian Blockchange organised by the Aldo Moro University of Bari’s Department of Humanities. It is the first university event in Italy to use blockchain, NFT, metaverse, virtual reality, and gamification technologies to protect the vulnerable Apulian territory and culture.

Due to this initiative, Nunzia di Bari Vecchia and her iconic orecchiette are expected to appear in virtual reality to perpetuate the culinary tradition in an immersive manner.

Further, the Salento Pizzica plans to expand internationally via its first NFT into the digital foray. The project will be developed by leading figures from all over Italy, including Vrainers, eNFTree, Artemaestra, Cattive productions, and Lab 2.0 Hubcom. It will be conceived by Professor Giosuè Prezioso in collaboration with the Cultural Activities Management at the University of Bari.

Source: https://www.forbesindia.com/article/crypto-made-easy/italian-university-promotes-local-culture-in-the-metaverse/76769/1