Geomorphological controls on the evolution of Adriatic historical cities (Central Italy), determined using contemporary maps and art.

The geomorphological analysis of historically urbanized areas provides an irreplaceable scientific basis to understand how geomorphological factors conditioned urbanization and it also gives us a baseline for comparison with the modern environment. Recently the mass digitization and resulting online access to old maps and art prints have vastly increased the amount of usable materials available for integrated analysis. This paper considers three urbanized historical sites on the Adriatic coast (Central Italy): Rimini, Pesaro, and Fano, which owe their urban development to particular geomorphological and environmental conditions modified over the centuries from the Roman age to present time. The focus here is on the evolution of the shoreline and the geomorphic variables associated with river mouths. These factors are fundamental for determining the development of the city, both as basic boundary elements – and therefore includes defence and protection – and also for development of the harbours. The studied areas are characterized by very detailed and precise contemporaneous cartographic documentation and artistic representations. The integrated analysis of these sites represents another important tool for urban planning, not to mention a primary data source for historical urban planning. Perhaps a deeper understanding of the rates of geomorphological change in a historical time frame can lead to smarter plans that do not assume a fixed unchanging nature for the physical elements upon which older plans rested.