Geological Map of Italy at 1:100.000 scale

On 30th August 1868 a new Decree established that the new geological map at 1:50.000 scale shall be complemented by geological profiles and other metadata (drawings, tables, texts) with the aim ‘to make the project as more complete and useful as possible to the industry of the Country’. That piece of legislation instituted the principle that the State has to directly provide for the production of the geological map. Il 30 agosto 1868

On 15th June 1873 the Geological Office (precursor of the Geological Survey) was set up as a Division of the Real Corps of Mines (Ministry for Agriculture, Industry and Commerce), with the task to produce and publish the Geological Map of Italy, under the high scientific direction of the Geological Committee.

In February 1960, the Geological Survey became a national cartographic body for geological and geo-thematic mapping. In February 1976 the official geological cover of the national territory at the 1:100.000 scale was completed. In April 1993 the Geological Survey became part of the Department for National Technical Services at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers’ General Secretariat.

In October 2002 the Geological Survey was incorporated into the Italian Agency for Environmental Protection and for Technical Services (APAT), basically constituting the Land Resources and Soil Protection Department.

Over a period of about 140 years the Geological Survey has collected and looked after important and prestigious minerals collections, ornamental stones, palaeontological specimens, library sections and other textual documents, which make up today the richest cultural heritage of the APAT’s Library and Documentation Centres.