A basic geological knowledge is a powerful tool for increasing public awareness of the need for a balanced relationship between
citizens and the environment, but often geology does not attract the interest of the general public because it
seems to be dealing with something too distant, in time and space, from our everyday life. The aim of this kind of ‘innovative
geological cartography’ is to bring geology to the general public, by stimulating the innate curiosity that is harboured by
every human being.
This initiative, realised by the Emilia-Romagna Region, falls within the category that can be defined, in a broad sense, as
‘geological tourism’. In this new frontier the mission of cartography is to transform geological maps into something comprehensible
by not only geologists but also the general public.
In this map (the Italian version is furnished with a booklet where several topics are investigated thoroughly), the Matilde
di Canossa myth and the ‘living’ landscape are used as tools to arouse the attention of the casual reader, demonstrating a
fundamental principle—that Lyell’s ‘Actualism’: geology is a science that wants to prepare the future through the study of
the past.
A copy of the English version of the map is included in this book.
Key words Innovative geological mapping - geology and tourism - geology and history - communication with society