Syria, Collateral Damage

About the project

Syria: Collateral Damage is a data-driven, interactive long-form commissioned by Corriere della Sera, Italy’s leading newspaper, to document the destruction of Syrian cultural heritage between 2011 and 2017 during the civil war. The piece draws on field reporting and investigation by journalists Lorenzo Cremonesi and Davide Frattini, mapping and analyzing the impact of conflict on UNESCO sites, ancient cities, and archaeological landmarks across the region.

My role

While working as a front-end developer at The Visual Agency, I was responsible for the implementation of the interactive long-form. I translated complex journalistic content and geospatial data into an immersive and accessible storytelling experience. The platform combined narrative elements with dynamic maps, timelines, and multimedia content to convey the scale and nature of cultural loss in war zones.

Outcome

Published by Corriere della Sera, the project received attention for its elegant visual storytelling and journalistic depth. It effectively raised awareness about the irreversible damage to historical and cultural heritage in Syria, offering readers a data-rich and human-centered account of a global issue. The long-form stands as a model for how digital journalism can combine field reporting and interactive design to inform public discourse.