Italy

Stanisław Pietkiewicz

This article reviews the development of comprehensive regional atlases and provides a detailed assessment of major national atlases published in Europe during the first half of the 20th century. The author begins by noting that regional atlases serve not only as visual complements to statistical publications but also as scientific syntheses of knowledge about a country. Citing the 1910 and 1925 editions of the "Atlas de Finlande" as exemplary, the article traces the historical lineage of such publications, mentioning early examples from Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia. The core of the article focuses on five significant atlases published between the world wars: the "Atlas of Industry of the USSR," the "Atlas de France," the "Atlas of the Czechoslovak Republic," the "Atlas des deutschen Lebensraumes," and the "Atlante fisico-economico d'Italia." The "Atlas de France," coordinated by the French National Geographic Committee, was planned to include 84 large plates covering topography, climate, hydrology, biogeography, agriculture, mining, industry, transportation, population, and politics. Its innovative cartographic concepts, such as aridity index maps and morphological maps, reflect the advanced ideas of the French geographical school. The "Atlas of the Czechoslovak Republic," published by the Czech Academy of Sciences between 1930 and 1935, is praised for its aesthetic layout, rich colors, and print quality, comprising 55 large plates on physical geography, geology, climate, biology, population, economy, and history. The article also reviews the "Atlas of Ukraine and Adjoining Countries," edited by Kubijovych, which covers natural, demographic, economic, historical, and cultural topics, though some maps exhibit political bias. Additionally, the author briefly discusses two smaller atlases: the "Atlas of the Free City of Danzig," focusing on human geography, and "Poland and Its Economy," published by the Königsberg Institute, which, despite its modest appearance, offers substantial content. The article concludes by summarizing the cartographic methods, organizational structures, and scientific merits of these atlases, noting their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Norbert Krebs

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.

This article reviews the National Atlas of Italy, published in 1940 by the Italian Touring Club, edited by Giotto Dainelli with technical execution by Piero Corbellini's Cartographic Laboratory. The atlas comprises 82 colored plates containing 508 maps, covering topics such as physical geography, climate, population, agriculture, industry, commerce, and education, aiming to comprehensively illustrate contemporary conditions in Italy. Based on census data from 1927-1931, the atlas employs isopleth methods for statistical mapping; however, the author criticizes this technique for potentially creating misleading gradients along administrative boundaries. Despite this flaw, the atlas is regarded as an exemplary work of its kind, offering rich content and exquisite cartographic craftsmanship that serve as a valuable reference for regional geographic studies.

Giotto Dainelli

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.

Jan Ernst

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.

李海晨

This article reviews three representative European atlases. The Italian Touring Club World Atlas is known for its large format, fine printing, and magnificent binding, with dense toponymy; the new edition improves readability through hypsometric tints combined with shading. The Italian Physical-Economic Atlas focuses on physical and economic themes, with high-quality physical maps and rich population and economic content, though industrial maps fail to fully display sectoral distribution.

Marcello Ricci

This article reviews the long and troubled history of the Italian National Thematic Atlas, published by the Touring Club Italiano, from early failed attempts to the eventual agreement between the CNR and the TCI in 1980. It details the atlas's structure, content, and cartographic methods: the work comprises 126 plates divided into four volumes, covering physical environment, population and settlements, economic activities, and cultural heritage, aiming to illustrate Italy's profound demographic, economic, social, and cultural transformations between the 1951 and 1981 censuses. The atlas employs the Lambert equivalent conic projection with base scales of 1:4,000,000 and 1:8,000,000, balancing scientific rigor with public accessibility. The article also assesses the atlas's value for academic research, teaching, and public awareness, concluding that it fills a long-standing gap in Italian national cartography, and anticipates future updates through computer-assisted cartography.