The Society for Geographical Studies is recognized as a cultural organization by the Ministry for Education. It was founded in 1885 with the name The Society for Geographical and Colonial Studies following the setting up in 1884 of an independent organization, the Florentine Section of the Italian Africa Society. This in its turn was founded in Naples in 1882 and grew out of the African Club, with the aim of encouraging research interest in regions of Africa such as Ethiopia where a peaceful settlement movement was underway, subsequently transformed into military conquest. From its inception in 1885 the Florentine Section of the Italian Africa Society published a Bulletin dealing with questions regarding Africa, its geographical description, and the civil, political and economic activities that Italy was called upon to carry out there. The Bulletin existed until 1895 when publication was suspended and it was replaced by the Italian Geographical Review (The Rivista Geografica Italiana), founded in 1894. In 1895 the Review became the Society’s official organ and since then the Society and the Review have led a joint existence.
The Statute of the Society for Geographical and Colonial Studies was approved on 18th January 1896, altered slightly on 29th March 1903 and again on 24th March 1912 and abrogated in 1936 when the Society took its current name.
The Society for Geographical Studies currently has 480 members, most of whom are university lecturers, and middle school and high school teachers. The Society’s main aim is the promotion and support of initiatives which will serve the progress and spread of the geographical disciplines. To this end the Society publishes the Italian Geographical Review (Rivista Geografica Italiana), the Geographical Memories (Memorie Geografiche), organizes study meetings and participates in national and international research programmes.
President: Lidia Scarpelli
Secretary Cristina Capineri: capineri@unisi.it
Administration: info@societastudigeografici.it
website: http://www.societastudigeografici.it/
Publications
Rivista Geografica Italiana , Italian Geographical Review
A peer reviewd journal; four issues per year; articles in foreign languages are accepted.
www.rivistageograficaitaliana.it