Valorizing Post-Byzantine Religious Heritage through Digital Documentation and VR: The Monastery of Profitis Ilias at Zeli

Authors

  • Despoina Lampada Independent scholar , National Technical University of Athens image/svg+xml
  • Efstathia Chatzi Foundation of the Hellenic World image/svg+xml
  • Dimitrios Christopoulos Foundation of the Hellenic World image/svg+xml
  • Protopresbyter Fr. Neofytos Rafailidis Holy Metropolis of Fthiotida

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65408/cird176637

Keywords:

Saeta, Religious Cultural Heritage, Heritage Informatics, Digital Mapping, Flamenco, Cáceres

Abstract

This paper presents a workflow for transforming high-fidelity digital documentation of a post-Byzantine monument in Phthiotis, Greece, into optimized and reusable digital assets for both preservation and public engagement. The case study is the 18th-century katholikon (main church) of the Monastery of Profitis Ilias at Zeli, one of 15 ecclesiastical monuments selected by the Metropolis of Phthiotis for photogrammetric documentation within a dedicated digitization project. The proposed approach establishes a digital archive that serves both as a comprehensive record for long-term documentation and preservation and as a flexible foundation for real-time virtual experiences. Particular emphasis is placed on maintaining the historical, art-historical, liturgical, and cultural contexts of the monument throughout the digitization and asset-production process. By enabling scientifically documented digital assets to be reused across different forms of interpretation, visualization, and access, the workflow supports the valorization of post-Byzantine heritage while preserving the monument’s historical and cultural significance.

Author Biographies

  • Despoina Lampada, Independent scholar, National Technical University of Athens

    Despoina Lampada is a research scholar in Art History at the General Art History Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens, Greece. She has extensive professional experience in developing, documenting, and implementing projects focused on the visualisation and digital enhancement of cultural heritage, as well as the use of digital media in historical and cultural education. Her professional experience includes work with prominent Greek cultural organisations, including the Foundation of the Hellenic World, the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, and the former National Centre for Audiovisual Media and Communication, now the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Centre – Creative Greece. Her publications address early Christian and Byzantine visual culture and history, heritage management, and digital history.

  • Efstathia Chatzi, Foundation of the Hellenic World

    Efstathia Chatzi is the Head of the Project Coordination Department of the Foundation of the Hellenic World. She holds a degree in Italian Language and Literature from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and an MSc in Machine Translation from the University of Manchester Institute of Technology (UMIST) with a specialization in Computational Linguistics and Corpora Management for Computer Education. Since 2003, she has acquired significant experience in R&D programs related to education, culture and Virtual Reality applications and productions.

  • Dimitrios Christopoulos, Foundation of the Hellenic World

    Dimitrios Christopoulos is the Head of the Department of Virtual Reality and 3D Graphics of the Foundation of the Hellenic World. He holds a degree in Computer Engineering and Informatics from the University of Patras and an MSc in Computer Graphics & VR. He has been working on 3D Modelling and Virtual Environment Programming in FHW productions for the last 25 years.

  • Protopresbyter Fr. Neofytos Rafailidis, Holy Metropolis of Fthiotida

    Protopresbyter Fr. Neofytos Rafailidis combines his administrative and pastoral leadership as the General Archieratic Vicar of the Holy Metropolis of Fthiotida with an active academic and theological research profile. He has a Doctorate in Theology (PhD), and his scientific work focuses primarily on ecclesiastical history, regional church archives, and religious heritage. He has authored well-regarded academic papers and detailed monographs that serve as critical primary sources bridging historical archives with modern ecclesiastical research.

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18th-century Bishop’s Chapel, Archibishopric of Lucca. Photo by: Olimpia Niglio, October 2026

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Published

2026-11-08

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 4 (2026): Religious Cultural Heritage: Diagnostics, Documentation and Valorization

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Despoina Lampada, Efstathia Chatzi, Dimitrios Christopoulos, Protopresbyter Fr. Neofytos Rafailidis

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