GIS Multimedia Atlases for the Conservation and the Memory of the Coastal Environment in the Area of Ravenna

Over the millenary history of Romagna, the sea has represented a crucial element in the evolution of the local landscape, both on the strictly physical plane and on the cultural-historical one. The geography of the area itself proved to be a complex and ever-changing reality, marked by significant modifications in the coastline which forced the human presence either to adapt to the evolution of the territory or to actively intervene and modify the environment according to its necessities. In this context, the city of Ravenna represents the most fascinating and significant example. On the environmental plane, the areas which mark this territory as a significant case study are characterized by ecologically relevant resources, both nationally and internationally recognized. The natural areas and, in particular, the two salt water basins (pialasse), together with the coastal pinewoods, are at the same time characterized by several biodiversities, morphological, natural, aesthetic, and cultural values, as they contribute to narrate the history, evolution, and identity of a territory. This article aims to illustrate the creation of several multimedia maps, for a digital atlas of Emilia-Romagna, with particular attention to the area of Ravenna. This atlas, created through GIS softwares, will allow us to evaluate the centuries-old evolution of the relation between humanity and sea in this area, both on the historical-cultural plane and on the strictly environmental one. The GIS will be therefore used also in order to reconstruct the ancient coastline and its evolution, thus allowing to assess and recreate on the digital map the changes of the local coastline over the millennia, and whether these changes were either the product of natural processes or instead caused by humanity. The resulting atlas will provide the means to not only recreate the local territory, but also to represent the human connections over the centuries, both inside the local area and in the broader context of the Mediterranean Sea, in order to communicate and facilitate the reutilization, green regeneration, conservation, and transmission of the cultural memory of these sites.