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 center owes its name to Mara Radalovich, a herbalist from Svetvinčenat who, according to the legend, was found guilty of witchcraft in 1632 and then burned at the stake.”Witch Mare’s House” interprets the history of this town through modern technologies. The experience begins with a mapping projection that is carried out in interaction with real objects. Mare welcomes the visitors and introduces them to the rich history and cultural heritage of this small Istrian town. After the introduction, she asks the visitors to take out the glasses from the wooden chest and experience virtual reality. After the VR experience and liberation of the castle, the visitor takes the Microsoft HoloLens glasses for mixed reality and continues the adventure outside the center itself. This is the moment when the real world, i.e. place, merges completely with digital objects.