The “Divine Comedy” as a New Immersive Experience in Florence
(eap) A new experiential exhibition opens in Florence today: Until November, visitors can immerse themselves in the new programme “INFERNO” in the deconsecrated historic church of Santo Stefano al Ponte, not far from the Ponte Vecchio. Conceived as an immersive experience, the leisure offering is dedicated to the work “The Divine Comedy” by the late medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri and brings parts of the “world of hell” described by him to life.
Visitors follow the fictional Dante and his guide Virgil on a multisensory journey through the different circles of hell. Principles of digital art, immersive storytelling and modern projection technologies are used. There are also interactive installations intended to enable guests to engage even more deeply with the story being told.
On the occasion of the new visitor experience, the church, which today also bears the nickname “Cattedrale dell’Imagine”, has been redesigned – the building now features a newly designed entrance area and, for the first time, the choir area is also being used, where a VR attraction awaits guests. In addition, further spaces such as a mirror room and the crypt are open to visitors.
The new immersive experience is a co-production by Crossmedia Group and the Turkish company Outdoor Factory, realised with artistic curation by Sinan Turaman, Managing Partner and Head of Art & Design at Outdoor Factory, and scientific curation by Luca Azzetta, Associate Professor at the Dipartimento di Lettere e Filosofia of the University of Florence. The exhibition is said to be the result of years of creative and production development and was created with the involvement of an international, multidisciplinary team of more than 100 specialists, who together have translated Dante’s epic work into a contemporary experiential environment.
In Florence, Inferno will be on view until 15 November 2026. After that, the immersive exhibition is scheduled to go on tour and appear at further locations in Europe and Asia. ■
