Bringing Roman Florence Back to Life: An Interview with OGHI
Translation: Jon Alkorta
OGHI is an architect and interior designer with a passion for merging digital innovation with meaningful narratives. A resident of Florence and originally from Serbia, he has over six years of experience in CAD and digital design. His work focuses on projects that offer immersive and interactive experiences. His background ranges from architectural renderings and virtual reconstructions to exploring how technology can transform the understanding of spaces and culture. Whether designing contemporary interiors or recreating historical settings, his goal is to create environments that inspire reflection and connect people to the stories behind each project.
Pedro Ortega: Why did you focus on Florence’s Roman roots during your university years? What made you look further back than the Renaissance period, which is usually the most evoked period of this city?
OGHI: During my university years, we studied the past of Florence, and I went back to the Roman period for a simple reason: the city has not moved since its foundation. Even today, you can see the oldest parts of the city by looking down on it from above. The answer to why Florence is the way it is today lies in its origins, with the first Roman fort and the initial city walls. So, for me, this period is of great importance and cannot be overlooked if we want to see its history in its entirety.

PO: How did your experience during the pandemic influence the development of this project to virtualize ancient Florence?
OGHI: During the pandemic, I started exploring alternative ways of traveling. I used a lot more virtual tours, like Google Street View, to visit different cities and museums. Then I realized that we could also “time travel” thanks to virtual tours and 3D modeling and rendering. I saw some 3D reconstructions of ancient Rome and ways to explore it virtually, but I didn’t find anything similar for other cities like Florence, Turin or Siena, which were also founded in the Roman period. So I started researching to see if a virtual reconstruction would be possible.
PO: What has been the most interesting aspect of recreating a city like Florence in its 2nd century state and what historical elements have been a priority for you?
OGHI: The most fascinating thing is to realize how people like us started something long ago that is still part of our lives today. A small camp of a few thousand men built a flourishing city within a hundred years, with an aqueduct, numerous baths, a temple in the main square, a theater, an amphitheater and a stadium for shows and games. It quickly became one of the largest cities of its time, with more than 10,000 inhabitants. Just to imagine so many people living in a city almost 2000 years ago, in such conditions, is simply fascinating.

PO: How has your passion for historical strategy games shaped your vision for this project?
OGHI: Thanks to historical video games and documentaries I have learned to appreciate our history much more than when I studied it in the textbooks we had in school. I realized that many of those books are poorly written and often full of unimportant details. What we need is effective storytelling that highlights key historical events and, most importantly, helps us understand why they happened. In this way we can learn valuable lessons and work to avoid repeating them in the present. In my opinion, interactive learning from diverse resources is far better than simply memorizing facts from a single textbook.
PO: What do you think is the importance of virtual environments for historical learning, especially in cities with such a rich past as Florence?
OGHI: I think, technologically speaking, we’ve reached a point where creating these kinds of environments is much easier. Production costs have dropped dramatically thanks to increased competition in the market, and the interfaces are becoming more intuitive and are inviting people from other industries to contribute. Many of us dream of time travel, and we all carry a device in our pocket that could be used in countless ways, yet is often underutilized for learning. If we make learning fun and accessible, we can look forward to a better future. Florence, like many other cities in Italy – and beyond – has so much to tell us about who we are and where European culture began, whether we like it or not.

PO: What documentary and graphic sources have you used to ensure that the virtualization is faithful to the history of Roman Florence?
OGHI: I started initially with online research. I first watched some publicly available videos on YouTube. I discovered that a large physical model of the city was once displayed in a public library, although it was there briefly and is now in the archives. However, there are still some photographs and a brief introduction available. I also found a very informative website, Romano Impero, with well-written articles translated into several languages. In addition, I consulted several books on the history of the city and visited the Museum of Archaeology in Florence. I am also in contact with a young archaeologist, which is a valuable resource for information directly from someone in the field.
PO: What technologies have you used in this project and do you think Artificial Intelligence could help in the recreation of historical sites?
OGHI: The technologies I have used include 3D modeling and digital rendering. Georeferencing, simple photo rendering and 360 degree photos used as a base, including real 360 photos of the Piazza della Repubblica to see what it looks like today. As for artificial intelligence, I find it very useful, it helped me to understand some poorly written articles about archaeological sites that are very technical, but as I said before, not very appealing to a wider audience. So it helped me to rewrite some pages and understand better what the author wanted to say. I think we have to wait a bit longer for AI to be useful in modeling and rendering, because for now, what I see is not its main focus.

PO: What projects do you have in mind for the near future?
OGHI: I still have to finish the project on Florence in the Roman period, but that’s just the beginning. The idea is to show the evolution of the city, passing certainly through the Renaissance and, ideally, up to the present, since the architecture of the city changes very slowly. After that, I plan to propose the project for other cities, such as Siena, Turin, Naples and many more. At that point, we would have a valuable library that could be adapted to various locations with only minor adjustments. Ultimately, this virtual tour could evolve into a video game, allowing people to actually experience life in different historical periods. I know the project seems very ambitious, but I believe that we have the professional sufficiency to carry it out.
PO: I dream of the idea that, in the medium term, we could have a free metaverse of cultural heritage for everyone. Do you think your 2nd century Florence could be integrated into such an experience?
OGHI: When it comes to the metaverse requiring a virtual reality device, I am quite skeptical, as this technology has not really been adopted by most people. Maybe it’s just a matter of time, but I have my doubts. Something more like augmented reality (AR), not full virtual reality, which could also work on our smartphones, consoles and PCs, seems more likely to be accepted by the general public. If you ask me whether the Florence project could be part of something bigger, that was indeed the idea from the beginning. So yes, I think it could integrate well. I’m not sure if you would be interested in other historical periods, but the Roman era could certainly play a role in a larger “metaverse” of cultural heritage.
PO: Anything else you would like to add?
OGHI: I would also like to add that I am Serbian, and there are many Roman cities in the East as well, so a possible expansion would include the Eastern Roman Empire. A reconstruction of Constantinople would be an ideal option. As Rome’s conquests expanded, our project could follow a similar path.
Also, current video games are often too fast and violent, aimed at young people competing at a high level. There are fewer quiet, strategic games that encourage careful reflection on one’s actions. So my game might seem “boring” in comparison, but I still believe there is an audience that would enjoy playing it.
OpenEdition le sugiere que cite este post de la siguiente manera:
Dr. Pedro Ortega (30 de enero de 2025). Volver a la vida a la Florencia romana: Entrevista con OGHI. El blog de Tartalo. Recuperado 14 de abril de 2026 de https://doi.org/10.58079/137fx

