Migrant Architectural Memory: The KNOW.it Project and the Italian Legacy in Brazil

The KNOW.it project aims to reclaim Italian architectural heritage through virtual experiences that restore its original context. The great Italian migrations of the 19th century made a millennia-old architectural language nomadic. Architectural practices traveled overseas, finding a home in South America. A significant part of Italian immigration to Brazil settled in the state of Sao Paulo, particularly in the towns of Jau and Sao Carlos. Jau, in particular, saw a large wave of Italian immigrants starting around 1888. This Italian influence has shaped the local architecture, with structures that reflect Italian heritage, often overlooked but deeply rooted in the city's identity. The project aims to shed light on these architectures, allowing them to symbolically return to Italy through digital communication. The goal is to act a "virtual comeback" of architectural heritage that is located overseas but rooted in Italian culture, through a hypermedia collection composed of digital models made through ICT, and above all to propose an original form of communication through a digital platform and social networks to extend knowledge to different categories of users.