There have been some beautiful digital recreations of ancient Roman sites, but the work being done by History in 3D goes above and beyond. At the tail end of 2021, they released this 8-minute aerial tour of their work so far. The project is far from complete, but it promises a unique and accurate view of ancient Rome. This is Rome as it would have looked during the time of Christ.
A passion project
The majority of this ambitious digital recreation is the product of just two 3D modelers: Danila Loginov and Sergey Bardyshev. On their website, they note that Danila founded the project in 2011, for which he serves as team leader and modeler. The team’s goal is to create the most complete, accurate and detailed 3D reconstruction of ancient Rome.
In a report that introduced the video, History in 3D noted that they made great strides on the project in 2021. As of now, they have completed about 40% of the Eternal City. The sights include many of the most famous Roman locations, as well as accurate depictions of the city’s infrastructure and residential areas.
The tour
The tour begins at the Colosseum, possibly the most famous site of ancient Rome, and moves over the landscape to give different angles of the storied buildings. The flyover goes on to give viewers a good look of the Temple of Venus, the basilica of Maxentius, the Forum Romanum, the basilica Ulpia, and various forums and baths, among other sites.
One of the best parts about History in 3D is that they accompany each video with a post that provides valuable historical context for the sites. One look at their post on the Baths of Caracalla is enough to recognize their dedication to the project. Not only is the building brilliantly recreated in full color, but the attention to detail on the statue is spectacular. Where the project really shines, however, is in the perfect use of lighting to give the digital buildings an authentic feel.
Digital faces
Along with the landscape and architecture, History in 3D is determined to recreate the people as well. In one post, the team utilized sculptures and portraits of the first 12 Roman Caesars. The recreated faces are wonderfully achieved, but they went a step further and animated some of them.
There is more history to be explored on History in 3D than can be viewed in just one day. It offers accurate glimpses into one of the most influential civilizations the world has ever known.
