Description of the Project

From an idea conceived by the Rector Emeritus Guido Trombetti, and thanks to the collaboration between the Department of Humanities and the Department of Physics “Ettore Pancini” of University of Naples Federico II, the MAGIC project was launched in 2023. Funded by the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, the project aims to establish a Service Center dedicated to the processing and dissemination of library and documentary heritage: a hub of diverse and interdisciplinary expertise, capable of combining specialized scientific research and the advancement of knowledge with the application of innovative technological solutions, foremost among them digitization.

The project strategically combines the scientific expertise of the University of Naples Federico II with the industrial expertise of commercial enterprises. Indeed, it was created through cooperation with three major industrial partners that have acquired the know-how necessary to manage all stages of the process, from the creation of information to its digital archiving. This collaborative synergy is directed not only toward the development of cutting-edge technologies in the field of cultural heritage, but also toward the cultivation and creation of new professional skills essential to the success of the project.

All digitization activities within the project, carried out in high resolution using planetary scanners and in accordance with the guidelines of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (“Guidelines for Planning the Digitization of Rare Book and Manuscript Collections, 2015”), must nevertheless be preceded by an assessment of the chemical and physical condition of the texts and, where necessary, by appropriate intervention. The average state of preservation of the ancient texts examined for the project is good, and most of the volumes do not require any special operations prior to digitization. Only minimal interventions, when necessary to ensure safe scanning, are envisaged.

However, the digitization process itself will not constitute the core element of the project. Rather, the central focus will be the creation of a vast metadata database, including both descriptions of the manuscript object and references to all existing scholarly studies on the subject. This will function as an outstanding cross-reference system, elevating the digitized document into a true entry point into history, sociology, and philology, enabling a comprehensive, multilingual, and multicultural research pathway unlike any other currently available in Italy.