The journey of Heritage, the journey of Experience: a reflection on physical/virtual museums

In the XIXth and XXth centuries, archaeological exploration of monumental sites uncovered large urban scenarios, architectural masterpieces, and valuable artworks. Early musealization often involved removing and relocating these findings to museums far from their original locations. This led to the creation of specialized spaces that made collections accessible to visitors and scholars. The British Museum in London, the Pergamon useum in Berlin, and the Cloisters in Manhattan present architecture out of their original context, yet fully enjoyable without travelling to distant sites. This controversial approach left gaps in archaeological sites, while parts of buildings were treated as fascinating museal exhibition objects. Today, this legacy remains visible, but digital and advanced technologies offer new possibilities. Original sites can benefit from a “digital return,” allowing the virtual reconstruction of moved items, and enhancing the perception of long-abandoned cities. In the present paper, a series of reflections in the parallel between the Pergamon Museum in Berlin and the original archaeological site in Bergama, Turkey, will be developed reflecting on how digital representation may help in reconstructing a separated and disseminated heritage, defining new interactive spaces for the contemporary visitors.