Advances in digital technology have had a great impact on the quality of facsimiles of historic works of art and architecture that can be produced for purposes of virtual conservation, digital restoration and museum display. When the technology is combined with traditional artistic skills, the results virtually erase the line between the original and its facsimile, creating a completely new paradigm regarding the authenticity of the viewing experience. This talk considers two case studies involving Renaissance originals and their facsimiles: the reconstruction of the Loggetta in Venice’s Piazza San Marco after the collapse of the bell tower in 1902, and the facsimile reproduction of the monumental fresco map of the city of Bologna, located at the Vatican’s inaccessible Sala Bologna. Aksamija is associate professor of art history at Wesleyan University and a principal researcher on the Sala Bologna project. Presented by the BFA Visual & Critical Studies Department.