DIORAMI

Diorami. net is a cultural and educational initiative of the University of Bergamo, organized by its Department of Letters, Philosophy and Communication and curated by the Arts and Humanities research group. The project explores the history and visual culture of the diorama, an immersive art form that emerged in 1822 and used experiments with light to create theatrical illusions.

Its central exhibition, “Le scatole delle meraviglie raccontano,” presented twelve handcrafted miniature scenes depicting domestic, commercial and leisure life in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Paris. The dioramas portray settings such as a bookshop, porcelain and fan shops, a restaurant, a bakery, a playroom and a dance lesson, offering a window into the period’s customs and social world. Diorami.

net shares descriptions and interpretations of each scene, alongside information about the exhibition and its accompanying book, Dioramas: Littérature et culture visuelle, directed by Franca Franchi. Through public engagement, the initiative connects research with audiences and highlights the diorama’s role in visual storytelling, cultural education and the history of immersive experiences