'The Traces of Paper' | Virtual reconstruction of La Casa de Los Jerónimos in La Adrada

History and technology come together to revive cultural heritage

The La Adrada Town Council decided to promote its historical heritage and boost cultural tourism through a unique immersive experience. To do so, it entrusted Telefónica and DeuSens with developing a project that combined technology and historical dissemination, focusing on the virtual reconstruction of one of the municipality's major tourist attractions: the Casa de los Jerónimos de La Adrada and the historic artisanal papermaking process carried out there by the monks of the Order of Saint Jerome of the Royal Monastery of El Escorial during the 18th century.

The experience was designed as a tool to bring visitors and residents closer to the legacy of the monks of the Order of Saint Jerome of the Royal Monastery of El Escorial, who made paper using water mills in this same area. The aim was to recover and bring this forgotten history to life, transforming it into an educational, attractive, and accessible experience thanks to immersive technologies.

Immersive and collaborative experience in Meta Quest 3

The solution was developed for Meta Quest 3 devices, combining Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality to create an immersive and detailed environment. Users could view a 3D reconstruction of the Casa de los Jerónimos and participate in a multiplayer experience for up to 5 people, sharing the visit simultaneously and collaboratively.

Throughout the tour, a virtual monk acted as a guide and narrator, accompanying the group through different scenes and providing historical information, interesting facts about the place, and explanations about the process of paper production using water mills. This figure provided a common thread that facilitated understanding and maintained the user's interest at all times.

Each scene was designed to represent the different phases of the work at that time in an educational and visual way, integrating interactive elements that allowed participants to explore and discover the environment at their own pace. In addition, the progressive transition from the physical environment with Mixed Reality to complete immersion in Virtual Reality helped to improve the accessibility of the experience, especially for those unfamiliar with this type of technology.

Finally, to complete the immersive experience, the entire process shown allowed users to create a guest book in which they could frame their signature using a virtual pen from the period.

Cultural and heritage dissemination through Extended Reality

The project established itself as a tool for cultural dissemination and tourism promotion in La Adrada, capable of highlighting an important part of its history and attracting new types of visitors. The experience not only brought the past closer through innovation, but also fostered curiosity, learning, and respect for local heritage.

Thanks to the immersive narrative and the fidelity of the recreated environment, users were able to better understand the importance of papermaking in the context of the 18th century and the role played by the Order of Saint Jerome in the economic and cultural development of the region.

The use of Mixed Reality and Virtual Reality made it possible to renew the way cultural content is consumed, offering an alternative to traditional tourism based on active participation, emotion, and meaningful memories. The experience thus contributed to reinforcing the identity of La Adrada and positioning it as a destination that is committed to innovation without losing its roots.