Vasiliki Gerontopoulou / Maria Pazarli / Kostas Diamantis (Onassis Foundation-Onassis Library / General State Archives of Greece-Cartographic Heritage Archives)
During the 18th century, Vienna, following Venice, emerged as the major printing center, publishing Greek books, playing a crucial role in the preparation for the Greek War of Independence. The Charta (map) of Rigas Velestinlis (1796-1797) was one of the most prominent historical documents printed in Vienna . Rigas was an emblematic personality of the Greek Enlightenment, whose passion for freedom led him and his colleagues to martyrdom (1798), while attempting to distribute his printed material ripe with the groundbreaking revolutionary and educational ideas. His Charta, although a scholar depiction of the Balkans, included an extensive array of symbols, figures and pictures. Today it is considered a “multimedia” piece that came out ahead of its time.
In this paper, we present digital humanities applications to study the history of Greek printing during the pre-revolutionary period, analyzing the cultural heritage material of Rigas’ Charta. By using digital tools, 3D graphics and visualizing techniques, we uncover Rigas’ messages hidden on the map, highlighting Vienna’s importance as a Greek printing center. This methodological approach aims at revitalizing the interest in Rigas’ life and works, contributing to a deeper understanding of the historical background that generated the creation of the Charta.