Digital Turris Babel. Augmented Release of Athanasius Kircher’s Archontologia

This paper presents a digital heritage project focused on Athanasius Kircher’s Turris Babel (1679), aiming to reveal and communicate the hidden visual contents enclosed within the pages of the historical book. The research develops a workflow that combines iconographic analysis, image retrieval, customized photogrammetric reconstruction, and 3D modelling to recreate the imagined architecture of the Tower of Babel and other illustrated elements such as the labyrinth. Since the tower never existed physically and survives only through engraved representations, the reconstruction process addresses the challenge of modelling an architectural fiction from a single historical source. The resulting models are integrated into a markerless augmented reality application developed with Unity and Vuforia, allowing users to navigate and explore the structures directly from the printed pages. The study demonstrates how low-cost AR tools can enhance accessibility, interpretation, and public engagement with rare books and visual cultural heritage.