Physical-Economic Atlas of Italy
FRAtlante Fisico-Economico d'Italia
Italy · Touring Club Italiano · 1939
Related Reviews & Articles
Ein neuer Atlas Italiens
Norbert Krebs · 1940
This is an academic review of the 'Atlante fisico economico d'Italia' (Physical and Economic Atlas of Italy), edited by G. Dainelli and published by the Italian Tourist Association in 1940. The atlas comprises 82 plates with 508 maps, produced over six years. The reviewer, Norbert Krebs, highlights its comprehensive coverage of Italy's physical geography (geology, geomorphology, climate, hydrology, flora and fauna) as well as its human and economic geography (population distribution, migration, occupational structure, agriculture, industry, transport). He praises its reliance on solid statistical data, including the 1931 census and the 1929 agricultural cadastre. While commending the atlas's excellent printing quality, delicate color palette, and rich content, Krebs criticizes the vegetation map for lacking detail and questions the use of isometric curves in demographic and economic maps, arguing that this method does not always reflect the abrupt transitions between heterogeneous regions typical of a mountainous country. The review also notes the accompanying 139-page explanatory volume by Aldo Sestini and concludes by praising the atlas as a testament to Italian scientific and technical achievement.
Recenzje: Atlante Fisico-Economico d'Italia
Jan Ernst · 1958
This article is a detailed review of the "Atlante Fisico-Economico d'Italia" (Physical-Economic Atlas of Italy), published by the Italian Tourist Association in 1940. The atlas, a collaborative work by numerous Italian scholars, comprises 82 plates and 508 maps, systematically presenting Italy's physical and economic geography. The reviewer first outlines the atlas's structure, dividing it into physical geography (about a quarter, with climate treated in exceptional detail) and economic geography (covering demography, agricultural and industrial production, and services). The content and cartographic methods of various thematic maps—from topography, geology, hydrography, and climate to population, agriculture, industry, and transportation—are summarized. While acknowledging the atlas's comprehensive content and clear, aesthetic cartography, the reviewer identifies several shortcomings: the lack of a large-scale topographic map, the omission of urban geography and tourism, the absence of a soil map, insufficient coverage of fisheries, and flaws in the application of the isarithmic mapping method, as well as the absence of graticules and coordinates. The review concludes that despite these flaws, the atlas remains a valuable reference, though its economic portrayal carries a propagandistic slant favoring the contemporary fascist regime.
L'Atlante Fisico-Economico d'Italia
Giotto Dainelli · 1943
This article is Giotto Dainelli's presentation of the "Physical-Economic Atlas of Italy" at the Congress of European Geographers in Würzburg. The author traces the atlas's long journey from conception to completion: the initial idea emerged 37 years earlier during an academic stay in Vienna, but was delayed due to concerns about insufficient data. He subsequently accumulated materials through the journal "Geographic Memoirs," yet progress remained slow. Discussions at the 1921 Florence Geographical Congress yielded no concrete advancement. Only after seeing similar works at the Warsaw Geographical Congress did the author resolve to accelerate completion, securing publication support under the Fascist regime. The atlas comprises over 600 maps, more than 400 of which were drawn personally by the author, covering natural conditions (topography, climate, geology, vegetation) and human-economic activities (population distribution, agriculture, industry, culture), based on the 1927 industrial census and conditions around 1930. The author emphasizes that while physical maps possess relative stability, economic and human maps must promptly reflect dynamic changes; hence he strove to complete the work within four years to portray contemporary Italy. The article candidly acknowledges certain shortcomings, such as insufficient representation of forest vegetation and coarse industrial census classifications, but overall considers the atlas a comprehensive depiction of Italy's demographic and economic geography around 1930. Finally, the author recommends periodic updates of such atlases and calls for international coordination in cartographic methods, scales, and dates to facilitate cross-national comparisons and enhance understanding of broader human communities.
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