The city of Zaragoza has received an important recognition from the European Commission thanks to its successful Virtual Flower Offering project during the Fiestas del Pilar.
The report of the European institution highlights the role of this metaverse promoted by the City Council of Zaragoza and Imascono, highlighting it as an outstanding example of how virtual worlds can be an effective tool to preserve and transform cultural heritage.
This initiative has attracted the attention of more than 330,000 users and has generated a total of 32 million impacts, demonstrating its relevance and success in the socio-cultural and innovative field.
The Pilar Virtual Flower Offering, a project developed by the Aragonese company Imascono in collaboration with Zaragoza Cultural, has been acclaimed for its ability to keep cultural traditions alive even in times of adversity. Since its creation in response to the cancellation of the festivities in 2020 due to the global coronavirus pandemic, this metaverse has evolved and improved, attracting more and more users and offering unique interactive experiences.
The European Commission report highlights how the Pilar Virtual Flower Offering has succeeded in connecting people from different parts of the world, allowing them to share and celebrate their culture and heritage. Thanks to the interactivity and virtual recreation of the cultural experience of the Fiestas del Pilar, this project has been more attractive and memorable for users, demonstrating the potential of virtual worlds in the preservation and promotion of heritage.
In its latest edition, the Virtual Offering of Flowers included character avatars that encouraged interaction between connected users, creating immersive experiences and gamification to make it even more engaging. Contests and hidden functionalities with prizes were held, even offering NFTs (non-fungible tokens) that were unique virtual works of art.
The magnitude of the success of this project is reflected in the more than 60,000 accesses to the official website ofrendadeflores.com and close to 30,000 virtual offerings made during the last edition. The Virtual Flower Offering has managed to reach a global audience, with Europe being the main contributor, followed by North America and Asia.
The recognitions obtained by the Virtual Flower Offering, such as the Helixa Summit Award 2022 and the Comprendedor Award 2021, are a testament to its impact and relevance in the socio-cultural and technological sphere. The success of this initiative supports the importance of continuing to explore the potential of metaverses to enrich the preservation and experience of our cultural heritage.
The city of Zaragoza is proud to have been highlighted by the European Commission as a role model in the use of virtual worlds for the promotion and protection of culture and heritage. With this innovative Virtual Flower Offering, Zaragoza demonstrates its ability to adapt to technological and social challenges, positioning itself as a leading city in the field of new technologies and cultural heritage.
