
The famous 1,000 m2 fresco, painted in 1893 by German artist Louis Braun, is about to become the world’s largest digital photo!
In the heart of EPFL’s experimental museology laboratory, the original version of the panorama of the Battle of Murten is being digitized for the first time in its history. Hidden from view since the national exhibition (Expo 02), the panorama is once again in the spotlight of historians in the run-up to the 550th anniversary of the Confederate victory over the Burgundian army in 2026.
After more than a year of restoration, Louis Braun’s work is now being digitized. The process will begin in August 2023 and last four months. During the entire operation, the camera will capture some 127,000 images of the original work. As EPFL explains, “The challenges posed by the size, quality and highly technological aspects of the digital twin, on the one hand, and the size and condition of the original object, on the other, are the subject of scientific research and experimentation during the imaging phase”.
This world-first experiment in this field will enable major advances in the use of blockchain for the digital conservation and preservation of historical works. The digitization of this major work of Helvetic history will give rise to numerous innovative digital projects to shed light on the most important battle to have taken place on Swiss soil, on June 14, 1476.
The digitized panorama will be on view at the Murten Museum in 2025, for the 550th anniversary of the Battle of Murten.