Stanisław Pietkiewicz · 1937
Pietkiewicz reports that Atlante fisico-economico d’Italia had begun publication under Giotto Dainelli, issued by the Consociazione Turistica Italiana, with 85 plates measuring 50 × 60 cm planned. From two sample plates shown at the geographical congress in Amsterdam, he expects most maps to be at scales between 1:5,000,000 and 1:12,000,000, with full-sheet maps for selected topics probably at 1:2,500,000. On that preliminary evidence, he judges that the atlas will be somewhat less detailed than the other major national atlases discussed.
Norbert Krebs · 1940
This review evaluates the Atlante fisico economico d’Italia, edited by G. Dainelli and published in Milan in 1940. Comprising 82 plates and 508 maps, the atlas seeks to provide a comprehensive representation of contemporary Italy, excluding its colonies, on the basis of major statistical sources such as the 1931 population census, the 1929 agricultural cadastre, and the 1927 industrial census. Its physical-geographical section covers relief, geology, morphology, petrography, hydrology, paleogeography, oceanography, volcanism, earthquakes, climate, fauna, and vegetation. The economic, transport, and demographic maps address agriculture, industry, population density and change, settlement patterns, migration, Italians abroad, and occupational structure. The reviewer particularly praises the extensive climatic mapping, precise color registration, restrained palette, flexible use of scale, and the accompanying explanatory volume by Aldo Sestini, which clarifies both mapped facts and causal relationships across plates. Criticism focuses on the insufficient differentiation of vegetation formations and on the frequent use of isometric curves for demographic and economic data. Although visually effective, this method can imply gradual transitions where mountainous and lowland, industrial and agricultural districts actually meet abruptly. Overall, the atlas is judged an exceptional achievement of six years of collaborative scholarship and cartographic production, demonstrating the advanced state of Italian geographical science and technical expertise while offering a vivid synthesis of the country’s physical, social, and economic structures.
Unknown · 1940
The review examines Giotto Dainelli's Atlante fisico-economico d'Italia, listed as published by Consociazione Turistica Italiana in Milan in 1940, with technical execution directed by Piero Corbellini and explanatory notes edited by Aldo Sestini. Dainelli conceived the atlas thirty-five years earlier; he states that its production depended on the availability of the 1927 industrial, 1929 agricultural and 1931 demographic census results. Its 82 colored plates contain 508 thematic maps covering physical conditions, climate, population, agriculture, industry, commerce and social topics, chiefly depicting contemporary Italy while including some earlier conditions and recent trends. Each plate identifies its sources, and the accompanying text explains the maps. The reviewer highlights the richness of the coverage and the clean printing. Three population-density maps distinguish total, concentrated and dispersed populations, showing generally contrasting settlement patterns with exceptions around several major cities. The review also examines the use of commune, agrarian-zone and provincial statistics, noting the absence of boundary key maps. It criticizes smoothly drawn isopleths for suggesting unsupported intermediate densities between administrative areas, while judging the atlas otherwise one of the finest of its kind.
