An open look to the past: virtual and inmersive approach to study inquisitorial Autos de Fe in colonial Mexico and Guatemala.

The projects undertaken by Praeteritas Urbes have a fundamental aim:
conducting thorough research and investigation to reconstruct both tangible
and intangible cultural heritage using VR. Virtual recreation in cultural heritage
is increasingly prevalent, offering advantages but also presenting methodological
challenges that must be addressed. The advancement of modern
technologies facilitates a new mode of engagement with cultural heritage,
providing the opportunity to reach a vast audience. Praeteritas Urbes is an
international and multidisciplinary group, composed of members from various
institutions. It was founded in 2016 by Antonio Rodríguez Alcalá and John
Chuchiak with the aim of recreating cities and events from the past, allowing
them to be visited through virtual and augmented reality. The last project
(‘The Auto de Fe of Mani’) started in 2022 and was presented to the public
during a museum exhibition in Merida, Yucatan, beginning in February 2023.
Our research group’s strategy is founded on an educational premise, yet
the objectives of each project also acknowledge the role of emotions in the
learning process. Consequently, our research is focused on recreating historical
events that significantly shaped the region once known as the colony of New
Spain and impacted Maya culture in diverse ways. These historical events,
falling within the realm of intangible heritage, necessitate the use of a precise
methodology in order to generate empathy for those who experienced these
traumatic historical events.