Along Jubilee Routes. Pilgrims, Trains, Popes
Fondazione Ferrovie dello Stato
- Fondazione Ferrovie dello Stato
OUR SERVICES
- Multimedia Set-up
- Graphic Design
- Strategic Communication
- Temporary event
- Video Production
- Content Production
- Software Development
he journey of pilgrims and the myth of the papal train between spirituality and technological innovation
For the Jubilee 2025, the exhibition On the Roads of the Jubilee. Pilgrims, Trains, Popes, hosted from July 3 to October 25 at Villa Farnesina in Rome, presents a narrative that weaves together faith, history, and progress. Promoted by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei together with the Italian State Railways Group (FS Italiane) and Fondazione FS Italiane, the exhibition unfolds in two main sections: the first dedicated to the ancient pilgrimage routes, and the second focusing on the evolution of mobility, with particular attention to the role of the railway in the nineteenth century.
ETT designed the multimedia and immersive installation of the entire second section, shaping a narrative experience that engages visitors while dialoguing with both the exhibited works and the architectural spaces of the Villa. Developed in collaboration with Fondazione FS Italiane, the project integrates interactive technologies, audiovisual installations, and a major production in Cinematic Virtual Reality.
At the heart of the experience is an immersive VR journey dedicated to the train of Pope Pius IX, today preserved at the Centrale Montemartini in Rome and usually not accessible to the public. Thanks to ETT’s creative direction, the locomotive and papal carriages are brought to life in a VR production that combines high-definition cinematic footage with CGI modeling, achieving a visual language that evokes the sacredness of travel. Through refined lighting design, the carriages are visually separated from the museum setting and emerge against a black backdrop with a timeless, suspended aesthetic. The atmosphere is enriched by original sound design and an evocative voiceover, which becomes the Pope’s inner monologue, offering an intimate and personal perspective.
Alongside the VR app, ETT developed a prototype for a physical immersive installation to provide a multisensory experience. In a space equipped with multiprojections and directional speakers, visitors can move freely and perceive the musical performance from different vantage points, as though standing on stage among the musicians. This setup was validated using a digital twin to simulate the installation and assess its immersive and scenic effectiveness.
ETT’s work spanned all key phases of the project: analysis, design, development, and testing of the VR application; 360° filming; audio and video post-production; system integration; release of the experience; and support for its presentation and dissemination. The result is an innovative and engaging experience that enhances the appreciation of ensemble music and expands the ways in which orchestral performances can be listened to and understood, with significant applications in museums, education, and the performing arts.
The multimedia journey also features a “talking portrait” of Luigi Cantamessa, General Director of Fondazione FS Italiane, who welcomes visitors and introduces the section’s themes. An interactive touchscreen totem provides historical, iconographic, and documentary insights into pilgrim train journeys, while an audio station plays traditional songs linked to railways, further enriching the multisensory immersion.
The installation is completed by coordinated graphic and visual production: from backlit panels based on a dedicated photo shoot, to captions, outdoor banners, and information materials, all designed to ensure narrative coherence and a distinctive visual identity.