Walter Palmieri
@ismed.cnr.it
CNR ISMED
Reasearcher cnr ismed
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
History, Environmental Science, Nature and Landscape Conservation
Scopus Publications
Scholar Citations
Scholar h-index
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Walter Palmieri
Liverpool University Press
Abstract The tragedies of great earthquake waves in Southeast Asia (Indonesia 2004 and Japan 2011) led to the entry into the common lexicon of a new word - 'tsunami' - which was before then confined within the boundaries of science. The exoticism of the term and the geographical distance of these disasters were both reassuring elements for public opinion in Italy and elsewhere, and several statistical studies show that Italian people have a low level of hazard awareness. Yet many tsunamis have occurred in the Mediterranean Sea, and more specifically along the Italian coast, over the centuries. The aim of this work is therefore to identify the main catastrophic events of the Mare Nostrum and the way these tsunamis were perceived by people at the time.
Fabio Luino, Mariano Barriendos, Fabrizio Terenzio Gizzi, Ruediger Glaser, Christoph Gruetzner, Walter Palmieri, Sabina Porfido, Heather Sangster, and Laura Turconi
MDPI AG
This paper demonstrates how historical research is a valuable tool for identifying past geological, geomorphological and climatic hazards and therefore critical for mitigating and reducing future risk. The authors describe the potential of a scientific field that straddles that of the geologist, geographer, historian and archivist. Historical records include a range of materials and sources of information, which can be very diverse; from written documents to cartographies, and from drawings to marble tombstones. They are all useful and convey important data, on the date of the event, the size of the phenomena, sometimes on ground effects, damage or magnitude. The authors discuss how to conduct historical research by providing a list of locations and how important historical documents can be found. Works that mention geological phenomena are listed, starting with the first occasional descriptions by individuals in letters, up to very specific publications in individual fields of interest. With this introduction, the editors of the Special Issue wish to draw attention to the importance of historical documentation, which is too often ignored or considered of low priority by the scientific community, but can contain key information on events, their impacts and social and cultural adaptations.
Fabio Luino, Fabrizio Terenzio Gizzi, Walter Palmieri, Sabina Porfido, and Laura Turconi
MDPI AG
Many Italian cities and towns have been affected by geological or geohydrological processes. However, due to the loss of historical memory, lessons of the past have been ignored; new urbanized areas have expanded into the same zones where damage and casualties occurred in the past. Despite current practices, researchers are showing how historical data can be among the most valid tools for identifying the most affected and hazardous areas. When the completeness and quality of historical sources are sufficiently high, we can make useful statistical inferences regarding the spatiotemporal variations of natural processes. This information is of great importance for land use planning, as it makes us able to rely not only on the current state of the investigated areas but also on their dynamic evolutionary framework over time. In this article, we present a chronological review of past Italian works describing the occurrence of natural extreme events making use of historical data. Then, we present some Italian case studies in which the awareness of hazards gained by paying attention to past information would have ensured better management of the risk for the benefit of public safety. Finally, the authors stress the need to safeguard, manage, and enhance the large collection of historical data that constitutes Italy’s heritage.
Walter Palmieri
Liverpool University Press
Abstract Between 2004 and 2015, after a decade of research and publications, four books on environmental history were published in Italy. The word 'short' appears in all their titles. Starting from this curious coincidence, this essay analyses, via the use of such books, the way through which the new historical paradigm has been addressed in Italy. It focuses on a wide range of issues, including epistemological definition, historical periodisation, fields of research, and the relationships between environmental history and other areas of history and natural sciences.