There National Gallery of the Marche is preparing to start the initiative "Raphael in Minecraft"Inviting local schools to the official presentation held on October 24th at the Sala del Trono of Palazzo Ducale in Urbino.

The innovative project, included in the new layout of the Palazzo Ducale, represents a case of "participated" narration, unique in its kind, which places the life of a character of great artistic importance at the center of the "story". Raffaello.

The story of Raphael in Minecraft

The idea of involving young digital users of schools in the area starts with the creation of a short film showing a cross-section of everyday life in Urbino at the end of the 15th century.

In the video it will be possible to recognize a young Raphael who grows up in the house - still open today - of his father, the famous Giovanni Santi, a very active multi-faceted artist, esteemed by the ducal court of Urbino.

In his father's workshop, Raphael meets and attends the great painters of the time who will then influence his artistic growth. Starting from this first video, which will be published on the Museum's website, we will try to involve the children in the subsequent narrative phase, letting the various schools, in shared sessions, decide which part of Raphael's story to tell, participating in the construction of Minecraft content, with an original and "gamified" storytelling.

Raphael in Minecraft: the contest for schools

The contest will be led by a Jury made up of members inside the Museum and experts in the videogame and will judge which contributions and which Minecraft creations can be decreed as winners, in terms of quality and quantity of content represented.

However, the decisive "exchange" takes place in any case through the Museum, thanks to a program of events and didactic seminars aimed primarily at the local schools.

Ultimately, it is the first time that around a figure so decisive and decisive for the Western visual culture - Raphael - converge, in an action of real innovation, cultural institutions and great players of technology.

Curated by our Marco Vigelini and Sebastiano Deva (Apptripper), and with the precious support of Microsoft, which owns the Minecraft videogame, the "Raffaello in Minecraft" project represents a unique and strategic opportunity to reach and involve new segments of public, in particular the younger generations.