Storymap: this is a tool that lets you create presentations. But these presentations are linked to geographical data. Together, they can take you on a journey around the world. To illustrate this concept, I've chosen to show you the works of Caravaggio that can be seen in Italy.

Storymap: a presentation concept linked to geographical data

Please note: there are at least two versions of Storymap. One is free, open source, offered by the  Northwestern University Knight Lab. The other is a proprietary, pay-as-you-go software package.

I worked with open source software.

Where can you see works by Caravaggio in Italy?

I love paintings by Caravaggio, actually Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. I've seen a few in Italy and Belgium.

Seeing all the works of Caravaggio in Italy is one of my projects. I'm sharing it with you through this Storymap presentation. Initially, I thought I'd bring together all the works to be seen in Italy in a single presentation, but in the end I decided to divide them into two groups:

• paintings collected in various museums and institutions in Rome
• works scattered in other Italian cities (I have therefore not included the paintings conserved in Malta)

I've also made a few choices in terms of works:

• I've only included works that you and I can see, so I've excluded paintings that belong to private collections to which we won't have access.
• I have only compiled the original paintings, on which the majority of specialists agree. I have therefore deliberately left out known copies or certain paintings whose authenticity is too dubious.

Storymap, an easy-to-create digital journey

What's special about Storymap, unlike other presentation applications such as Genially or H5P again, allows you to link content geographical indications. In my case, the paintings of Caravaggio and where they were exhibited in Rome.

As you scroll through the slides, you travel on the map. You don't need any prior knowledge or coding skills. All you need is a good subject linked to a geographical context to link the two in just a few clicks.

Storymap, science and aesthetics go hand in hand

Here is the result of my work: click on the image to display the presentation full screen.

As you can see, Storymap lets you combine scientific data with aesthetic pleasure.

The application can be used to create content in history, geography, literature, etc.

And what areas do you want to cover in this way? To create your own presentation, go to the Knight Lab website. The app is free and open source.

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