Italy's Geographical Tapestry
An academic exploration of the Italian geographical region, from its Alpine embrace to its Mediterranean expanse.
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Defining the Region
A Southern European Subregion
The Italian geographical region, also known as the Italian physical region, is a distinct subregion of Southern Europe. Its northern boundary is clearly delineated by the formidable mountain chains of the Alps. This region is characterized by a diverse topography, encompassing both a continental and a peninsular landmass, alongside a significant insular component. Strategically positioned between the Balkan and Iberian Peninsulas, it projects into the central Mediterranean Sea, offering extensive coastlines along the Adriatic, Ionian, Ligurian, and Tyrrhenian Seas, as well as the Sardinian Channel, Sea of Corsica, Sea of Sardinia, and the Strait of Sicily.
Area and Inclusions
Traditionally, and in its most widely accepted definition, the Italian geographical region spans an area of approximately 324,000 square kilometers (125,000 sq mi). This is notably larger than the political boundaries of the Italian Republic, which covers about 301,230 square kilometers (116,310 sq mi). Consequently, the geographical region incorporates territories that are sovereign parts of several other nations, including Croatia, France, Slovenia, and Switzerland. Furthermore, it entirely encompasses four smaller sovereign states: the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of San Marino, and the Vatican City State (Holy See).
Physical Geography: Landscape & Limits
Topographical Divisions
In common discourse, the "Italian region" often refers specifically to the Italian Peninsula. Similarly, island inhabitants frequently use the term "continent" to denote the mainland stretch from the Alps down to Reggio Calabria. From a geographical perspective, Italy, extending in a northwest to southeast direction, can be systematically divided into several distinct physical zones: the calcareous Alps, the extensive alluvial plain, the Northern, Central, and Southern Apennines, and the island of Sicily.
Eastern Geographical Limits
The natural boundaries of the Italian region are generally well-defined by the Alpine drainage divide and the surrounding seas, though some complexities exist at the Alpine extremities. To the east, the Julian Alps chain and the Kvarner Gulf are traditionally cited as the limits, a perspective even referenced by Dante Alighieri. However, alternative proposals for the border have included the Isonzo River, which would exclude areas like the upper Isonzo valley, Trieste, and Istria. Historically, the Augustan regional structure of Roman Italy placed an administrative boundary along the Arsa River, marking the end of Venetia et Histria. The mountain bulwark's continuity in the east, despite more depressed orography, is maintained by reliefs between Mount Pomario and Mount Nevoso, reaching the Kvarner Gulf and the Bay of Buccari, southeast of Fiume. Buccari is generally considered the easternmost limit. The traceability of the natural border becomes challenging south-east of the Nauporto pass and north-west of Mount Pomario, where the hydrographic watershed diverges from the orographic chain.
Western Geographical Limits
Conversely, the western boundary is largely undisputed and easily identifiable. It lies between the Swiss canton of Valais, the French region of Savoy, and the Italian regions of Aosta Valley and Piedmont. Near the coast, this boundary is represented by a buttress of the Maritime Alps, detaching from the Po-French drainage divide at Monte Clapier. It follows the Authion Massif, culminating in Mont Bégo, and separates the Roia basin to the east from the Var and Paglione basins to the west. The Mentone basin, being orographically distinct, is included by grafting the border at Capo d'Aglio, thus encompassing the entire Principality of Monaco. While the Menton basin can be excluded due to its unique separation, in which case the border aligns with the current international state border at Mount Buletta, this is a convergence rather than an a priori correspondence. This delineation aligns the geographical border closely with the ethno-linguistic divide between Ligurian, Intemelio, and Occitan languages (specifically the Niçard dialect). Historically, Francesco Petrarca in 1331 already claimed Nice within the Italian region, suggesting a border that includes the entire Varo river basin or reaches the coast southwest of Nice. However, a counter-thesis, supported by Charles de Gaulle post-WWII, views Colle di Tenda as a transalpine pass, thereby excluding the entire Roia Valley and Ventimiglia from the Italian physical region.
Continental & Peninsular Divisions
The Continental Expanse
The continental portion of the Italian geographical region constitutes approximately 40% of its total area. It is primarily situated north of an imaginary line extending from the mouth of the Magra River to that of the Rubicone River. This segment is largely composed of the water catchment areas of significant rivers such as the Po, Adige, Brenta, Piave, Tagliamento, and Isonzo. However, it is important to note that certain Alpine valleys, despite being part of the Italian State, are geographically excluded from this continental definition. These include the Val di Lei, which is a tributary of the North Sea via the Rhine River, and the Val di Livigno, the Sella di Dobbiaco, and the Tarvisio basin, which are tributaries of the Black Sea through rivers flowing into the Danube.
The Peninsular Form
The Italian Peninsula, also referred to as the Italic or Apennine Peninsula, is a prominent landform on the European continent. It is traversed by the Apennine mountain chain and is bordered by four distinct seas: the Ligurian Sea, the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Ionian Sea, and the Adriatic Sea. Alongside the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas, it forms one of the three major peninsulas that define Southern Europe. In a narrower geographical sense, the peninsula begins from the Tuscan-Romagna Apennines, marked by an imaginary line from the Magra River's mouth to the Rubicone River's mouth, and extends southward to the extreme offshoot of Capo Spartivento in Calabria. This peninsular stretch measures approximately 1,000 kilometers (0.621 miles) in a northwest-southeast direction. Notably, the large islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica are not considered integral parts of the peninsula itself. This peninsular section accounts for about 45% of the entire Italian geographical region.
Insular Realm: Islands of the Italian Region
A Significant Insular Component
The insular part of the Italian geographical region covers an area of approximately 60,000 square kilometers (23,000 sq mi), representing about 18.5% of the entire region. The vast majority of this area, specifically 58,000 square kilometers (22,000 sq mi), is accounted for by the three largest islands: Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica. Beyond these major landmasses, numerous smaller islands, often clustered into archipelagos, are found along the Italian coast, predominantly within the Tyrrhenian Sea. These islands contribute significantly to the region's diverse geography and rich cultural heritage.
Largest Islands by Area
The following table details the largest islands that are considered part of the Italian geographical region, specifying their area, the surrounding sea, and their current sovereign country.
| Name | Area | Sea | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sicily | 25,460 km2 (9,830 sq mi) | Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian, Ionian | Italy |
| Sardinia | 24,090 km2 (9,300 sq mi) | Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian | Italy |
| Corsica | 8,681 km2 (3,352 sq mi) | Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian | France |
| Cres (Cherso) | 406 km2 (157 sq mi) | Adriatic | Croatia |
| Malta | 246 km2 (95 sq mi) | Mediterranean | Malta |
| Elba | 223 km2 (86 sq mi) | Tyrrhenian | Italy |
| Sant'Antioco | 109 km2 (42 sq mi) | Mediterranean | Italy |
| Pantelleria | 83 km2 (32 sq mi) | Mediterranean | Italy |
| Lošinj (Lussino) | 74 km2 (29 sq mi) | Adriatic | Croatia |
| Gozo | 64 km2 (25 sq mi) | Mediterranean | Malta |
| San Pietro | 51 km2 (20 sq mi) | Mediterranean | Italy |
Extreme Points: Geographical Coordinates
Defining the Edges
To precisely delineate the extent of the Italian geographical region, it is essential to identify its extreme points based on the Greenwich meridian. These cardinal points highlight the vast north-south and east-west spread of the region, encompassing diverse landscapes and climates.
- Northernmost Point: The Testa Gemella Occidentale in the Aurine Alps, located in Alto Adige/Südtirol, at 47° 04′ 20″ North latitude.
- Southernmost Point: The South Cape of the Piccolo Sciutu rock, part of the Maltese Archipelago, at 35° 47′ 04″ North latitude.
- Easternmost Point: Capo d'Otranto, situated in Apulia, Italy, at 18° 31′ 13″ East longitude.
- Westernmost Point: The Rocca di Chardonnet in the Cottian Alps, located in France, at 6° 32′ 52″ East longitude.
The orthodromic (great-circle) distance between the northernmost and southernmost points of this geographical region spans approximately 1,269 kilometers.
Political Geography: Overlapping Boundaries
The Italian Republic's Share
The Italian Republic, as a sovereign state, occupies a substantial portion of the Italian geographical region, accounting for approximately 93% of its total area. The remaining 23,000 square kilometers are distributed among several other states, illustrating the complex interplay between natural geographical definitions and political borders.
States Entirely Within the Region
Within the natural limits of the Italian geographical region, four sovereign states are entirely encompassed:
- The Principality of Monaco: Fully situated within the continental part, towards the west.
- The Republic of Malta: Entirely located within the insular part, to the south.
- The Republic of San Marino: Completely enclosed within the peninsular part, to the northeast.
- The Vatican City State (Holy See): Fully contained within the peninsular part, in the center-west.
Shared Territories
Several other areas, while belonging to different sovereign nations, also fall within the broader Italian geographical region:
- In Croatia (eastern continental and insular parts): Istria, the city of Fiume, the Pelagosa archipelago, and, under an extensive interpretation, the islands of Cres (Cherso) and Lošinj (Lussino).
- In France (western continental and insular parts): Corsica, the Roia Valley (including Briga Marittima and Tenda, ceded by the 1947 Treaty of Paris), Colle del Monginevro, Valle Stretta behind Bardonecchia, the area of Mont Chaberton near the Montgenevre pass, the Mont Cenis area with its lake (also ceded in 1947), and the Mentone basin up to Turbìa.
- In Slovenia (eastern continental part): The Slovenian Julian Alps (Slovenian Gorizia), a portion of western Carniola, and the Slovene Littoral.
- In Switzerland (northern continental part): The upper Val Divedro in the canton of Valais, the Canton of Ticino (excluding the upper Reuss valley and Val Cadlimo with Piz Blas), and in the Canton of Grisons, the Val Mesolcina, Val Calanca, Val Bregaglia, Val Poschiavo, and Val Monastero. Most of these Swiss areas constitute Italian-speaking Switzerland.
Italian Republic Territories Outside the Region
Conversely, certain territories that are part of the Italian Republic are not considered to be within the Italian geographical region. These include three Alpine valleys that drain into the Rhine and Danube rivers (Val di Lei, Val di Livigno, Sella di Dobbiaco, and the Tarvisio basin), as well as the islands of Lampedusa and Lampione, part of the Pelagie Islands, which are geographically located on the African continental shelf.
Historical Evolution of the Concept
Ancient Perspectives
The conceptualization of Italy as a distinct geographical region dates back to antiquity. As early as the 1st century BC, the Greek geographer Strabo, in his monumental 17-volume work Geographica, provided an early definition. He described Italy with the geographical notion of a peninsula. Initially, the name "Italy" referred only to the ancient Ouitoulía, a district situated between the Strait of Sicily and the Gulf of Taranto and Poseidonia. Over time, however, this designation expanded, eventually encompassing the entire area up to the foot of the Alps, including Liguria up to the Varo River and Istria up to Pula. This comprehensive view was rediscovered in the 15th century through Guarino da Verona's Latin translation of Strabo's work.
Medieval Interpretations
Following the fall of the Western Roman Empire and particularly with the arrival of the Lombards, Italy lost its political unity for several centuries. During the Carolingian age, a new "Kingdom of Italy" (Regnum Italicum) emerged, but it encompassed only Northern Italy. Conversely, the Byzantine Empire's concept of "Italia" largely coincided with the Catepanate of Italy, referring to the Greek-speaking Southern Italy under their control. Northern Italy itself fragmented into numerous small states, often embroiled in conflict or subject to foreign expansionist ambitions. Despite this political fragmentation, the geographical concept persisted in cultural works. In the 14th century, Dante Alighieri, in his Divine Comedy (L'Inferno, Canto IX, 114), poetically described Italy's eastern boundary: "As in Pola, near del Carnaro, where Italy closes and its terms wet." Similarly, Francesco Petrarca, in his Il Canzoniere (s. CXLVI, 13–14), evoked the nation's natural form: "that fair country, the Apennines divide, and Alps and sea surround."
Napoleonic Era
The 19th century brought renewed attention to Italy's geographical definition. Napoleon Bonaparte, in his memoirs written during his captivity on Saint Helena and published in 2010, offered a detailed geographical description of Italy. He viewed Italy as naturally delimited by the Alps and the sea, with boundaries as precise as an island. He divided it into three parts: the mainland, the peninsula, and the islands, separated by the Isthmus of Parma. Napoleon calculated the total surface area to be 15,000 square leagues, considering natural limits without political divisions. He included parts of Italian-Swiss territories below the Alps and Tyrol that drain into the Adige, while excluding Savoy, Dalmatia, and most of Istria, placing the eastern border at the Isonzo River.
Unification and Nationalism
After Napoleon's fall and the restoration of absolutist monarchical regimes, Italy was famously described by Metternich as merely "a simple geographical expression" lacking political unity. However, this period also ignited the process that would lead to the unification of Italy. Following the proclamation of Vittorio Emanuele II as King of Italy in 1861, a strong sense of Italian nationalism and irredentism emerged. This ideology asserted that Italy's natural border should follow the crest of the Alps, based on geographical principles. Institutions like the Società Geografica Italiana in Rome and the Società di Studi Geografici in Florence became deeply imbued with this nationalist spirit, which, in subsequent decades, evolved into a more colonialist and militarist stance. This context helps explain the enthusiastic, almost unanimous support of Italian geographers for fascism in the early 20th century, as demonstrated by Lucio Gambi.
Post-War Reassessment
After World War I, the concept of the Italian geographical region became less prominent, as Italy had largely achieved its "natural borders" with the annexation of Trentino-Alto Adige and Julian March, with only marginal territories remaining. Italian nationalism and imperialism then sought expression on a broader, extra-geographical scale. However, following World War II, Italy lost a significant portion of Julian March. In response, Italian geography underwent a critical shift, consciously eliminating political and nationalistic biases to focus exclusively on purely geographical aspects. Consequently, the notion of the Italian geographical region, which includes territories beyond the modern Italian Republic, continues to be present in some Italian geographical encyclopedias, such as those published by De Agostini, reflecting a commitment to a purely physical and historical understanding of the region.
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References
References
- As already mentioned above, this thesis was accepted by Octavian Augustus in tracing the borders of Italy in the area.
- Italia nell'Enciclopedia Treccani
- Italia nell'enciclopedia "Sapere" - DeAgostini
- Geôgraphiká dans la traduction de A. Tardieu
- Strabon, Géographie â Livre V â Chapitre I : La Transapadane et la Cispadane
- Bonaparte, N., Mémoires de Napoléon - La campagne d'Italie, Ed. Tallandier, 2010, p. 53-54.
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