The heart of the project is the creation of a digital twin of St. Peter’s Basilica through advanced photogrammetry and artificial intelligence that allows anyone to “visit” the church and learn about its history.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Visitors to Rome will have the opportunity to experience St. Peter’s Basilica in a new way as part of an immersive exhibit, both in person and online, created through a partnership between the Vatican and Microsoft using AI technology.

The Vatican and Microsoft on Monday unveiled a digital twin of St. Peter's Basilica that uses artificial intelligence to explore one of the world's most important monument's while helping the Holy See manage visitor flows and identify conservation problems.