The evolution of the Po Valley and Reno basin (North Italy) through the historical cartography: vicissitude of a land reclamation.

The land evolution is the result of a short and long processes in which nature and men were in contrast, fighting each other and genius great works were made by man to improve the quality of life in these lands. The aim of the work is to retrace the history of the territory through historical cartography, which is one of the most important document that describe the transformation of the territory during centuries. The Po Valley and Reno basin (North Italy) is the result of a complicated reclamation works which modified this land from a long time. The history of water management in Po Valley was made by several flooding, famines and diseases, and by political disputes and scientific knowledge improvement and experimentation. Land reclamation in Reno basin , between Ferrara and Bologna cities, was one of the most important example of hydraulical engineering in Italy during the centuries. this was a vulnerable land, because the Apennine rivers were creating a swampland in the plain, for the low slope and lack of drainage waterway. Historical cartography is one of the most important document that record the land transformation during centuries, because often the projects of land and water management were based on those maps. The reclamation of this land began in Roman times came to an end with the invention of the engine, in the industrial times. All the efforts that men did during centuries for land reclamation, ended with the huge building of artificial canals divided in two networks drain , Low and High canals, and some very important hydraulic works as well as pumping stations, vincian doors which are still used for the hydraulic safety of the plain.