Giovanni Marinelli and his son Olinto are regarded as the two main figures in the establishment and institutionalization of modern academic geography in Italy, between the last decades of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. Their contribution was principally in physical geography and in the role played by cartography in describing and understanding the relations between humans and the environment. In spite of their relatively short lifespans, the Marinellis had enduring influence: most Italian geographers accepted their theoretical and methodological approach for a long time after their death – indeed, the influence of the Marinellis is recognizable in the teaching of geography even today. In making reference to the origins of the Marinellis and to the role they played in shaping Italian geography, some scholars have introduced the term ‘Scuola Friulana’ (the Friulian School) to connote their conjoint scientific approach and its legacy, even if the centre of influence for their work was Florence and the Istituto di studi superiori – the main hub of Italian positivism – and the Società di Studi Geografici founded in Florence in 1895 as an academic response to the politicized Società Geografica Italiana of Rome. It was due to Olinto Marinelli’s work in general and to his participation in international research projects in particular that Italian geography was integrated into the mainstream of European and North American geography. After 1945 especially, criticism of their work stressed their extreme positivism and deterministic approach which, critics argued, isolated Italian geography from new international trends in the discipline. A further element of their critical acceptance concerned their contribution to, and responsibility for, the politicization of the geographical sciences, notably their seeming supporting of Italy’s colonial policies as well as adherence to imperialistic and fascist spatial theories. This essay examines the work of the two men, father and son, and, in review, assesses their contribution within Italy and further afield.
Giovanni Marinelli (1846–1900) and Olinto Marinelli (1874–1926)
PROTO, MATTEO
2014
Abstract
Giovanni Marinelli and his son Olinto are regarded as the two main figures in the establishment and institutionalization of modern academic geography in Italy, between the last decades of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. Their contribution was principally in physical geography and in the role played by cartography in describing and understanding the relations between humans and the environment. In spite of their relatively short lifespans, the Marinellis had enduring influence: most Italian geographers accepted their theoretical and methodological approach for a long time after their death – indeed, the influence of the Marinellis is recognizable in the teaching of geography even today. In making reference to the origins of the Marinellis and to the role they played in shaping Italian geography, some scholars have introduced the term ‘Scuola Friulana’ (the Friulian School) to connote their conjoint scientific approach and its legacy, even if the centre of influence for their work was Florence and the Istituto di studi superiori – the main hub of Italian positivism – and the Società di Studi Geografici founded in Florence in 1895 as an academic response to the politicized Società Geografica Italiana of Rome. It was due to Olinto Marinelli’s work in general and to his participation in international research projects in particular that Italian geography was integrated into the mainstream of European and North American geography. After 1945 especially, criticism of their work stressed their extreme positivism and deterministic approach which, critics argued, isolated Italian geography from new international trends in the discipline. A further element of their critical acceptance concerned their contribution to, and responsibility for, the politicization of the geographical sciences, notably their seeming supporting of Italy’s colonial policies as well as adherence to imperialistic and fascist spatial theories. This essay examines the work of the two men, father and son, and, in review, assesses their contribution within Italy and further afield.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
