How can digital tools support historical research and improve access to testimonies of the past? What role can data visualisation play in interpreting complex historical experiences and understanding contemporary societies?

These questions were at the heart of an intensive two-day programme of study and discussion organised by the Fondazione Centro di Documentazione Ebraica Contemporanea (CDEC Foundation), focusing on the outcomes of research projects applying Digital Humanities methodologies to the analysis and interpretation of oral testimonies.

The programme addressed both technological and methodological aspects of digital historical research. Particular attention was devoted to the new paradigms of data visualisation made possible by recent technologies and to the ways in which these tools can change the relationship between users and archival sources. The discussion therefore went beyond the use of digital technologies as instruments for simply searching and retrieving archival content, exploring their potential to provide researchers and users with new opportunities to analyse, connect, interpret and visualise historical information.

The two study days combined these technological perspectives with a strong focus on historical content and research methodologies, examining how digital environments can facilitate new forms of access to oral testimonies and support the interpretation of complex historical experiences. In this perspective, technology was considered not merely as a means of providing access to digitised sources, but as a research environment capable of enabling new questions, connections and forms of analysis.

The study sessions brought together different areas of expertise through the participation of Prof. Vitali from the University of Versailles, Laura Brazzo, Deputy Director of the CDEC Foundation, and researcher Chiara Renzo, fostering dialogue between historical research, archival expertise and technological innovation.