House of Mare the Witch

The visitors’ center “Witch Mare’s House” is in Svetvinčenat, a small town in central Istria which is 26 km from Pula and 78 km from Rijeka. Rich history and tangible and intangible cultural heritage contribute to daily development of this small Istrian town. The number of visitors has grown with its development, so our task was to conceptualize and realize the exhibition of the visitors’ center.

The centre takes its name from a local herbalist, Mare Radolovich, who, according to legend, was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake in 1632. The “House of Witch Mare” uses contemporary technologies to interpret the town’s history and cultural heritage. The experience begins with a projection mapping installation interacting with real objects, where Mare welcomes visitors and introduces them to the past of this small Istrian town. She then invites them to take VR headsets from a wooden chest and immerse themselves in a virtual reality experience. Finally, visitors put on mixed reality glasses, Microsoft HoloLens, and continue the adventure beyond the centre itself, creating a seamless connection between the physical location and digital content.