Falvo, Perla GianniManera, Giovanni ValeriSaari, MichaelGuidi, GabrieleCampana, StefanoFerdani, DanieleGraf, HolgerGuidi, GabrieleHegarty, ZackaryPescarin, SofiaRemondino, Fabio2025-09-052025-09-052025978-3-03868-277-6https://doi.org/10.2312/dh.20253382https://diglib.eg.org/handle/10.2312/dh20253382Special effects are often perceived as a product of the digital age, yet the fundamental concept of special effects has been present throughout history. In fact, 15th-century sacred performances in Florence were much more than religious events: they were sophisticated immersive experiences born from the integration of art, mechanical engineering, and scenotechnical creativity. Polyhedric figures such as Filippo Brunelleschi profoundly innovated the language of spectacle-the principal form of mass communication until recently- by introducing mechanical, visual, and audio solutions that prefigure contemporary immersive technologies (CGI, AR/XR). These techniques aimed at arousing emotional involvement through multisensory stimuli, establishing core principles now validated by cognitive science. The effectiveness of such devices is analyzed through neuroscience and embodied cognition theories, explaining the link between sensory stimulation, empathy, and emotional participation. Florentine sacred representations, therefore, anticipated strategies for spectacularization now applied in digital heritage. Our comparative analysis confirms how the interaction between technical innovation and audience emotional response persists across eras. Although digital technologies have radically transformed visual effects' execution, their fundamental role in creating resonant cultural experiences remains unchanged.Attribution 4.0 International LicenseCCS Concepts: Applied computing → Media arts; Applied computing → Performing arts; Human-centered computing → HCI theory, concepts and models; Human-centered computing → Mixed / augmented reality; Human-centered computing → Virtual reality; Human-centered computing → Collaborative interactionApplied computing → Media artsApplied computing → Performing artsHuman centered computing → HCI theoryconcepts and modelsHuman centered computing → Mixed / augmented realityHuman centered computing → Virtual realityHuman centered computing → Collaborative interaction10.2312/dh.2025338210 pages