A century of geological research in Central Italy - celebrating the centennial of the publication of Bernardino Lotti's "Descrizione Geologica dell'Umbria"

One hundred years ago, Bernardino Lotti (1847–1933), long-standing Director of the Italian Geological Survey, published the "Descrizione Geologica dell'Umbria", a monograph synthesizing the results of some decades of intense fieldwork and research. To commemorate this centenary and honour his scientific legacy, the conference "Lotti 2026: 100 Years of Geological Research in Umbria" was held in Spoleto in February 2026.
Umbria and Central Italy have long served as a premier "natural laboratory" for the geosciences, fostering research advance of wide impact and global significance. This Special Issue aims to reconstruct a long-lasting and complex scientific journey, starting with a historical retrospective on the foundational research of Lotti and his contemporaries, before transitioning into an analysis of a century of subsequent geological advancements, highlighting both recent advancements and the open questions that require further investigation. 
The Special Issue, "A Century of Geological Research in Central Italy" invites contributions covering a wide range of subjects, including e.g. the history of geology, the stratigraphy and tectonic evolution of a classical foreland fold-and-thrust belt, the recent and still active geological processes, which have formed the present-day landscapes and geological sites, as well as the geological risks and resources characterising this complex and beautiful region.

Guest Editors:

Alessio Argentieri
Città metropolitana di Roma Capitale - Dipartimento XI "Geologico - Difesa del suolo e Aree Protette"; a.argentieri@cittametropolitanaroma.it

Massimiliano R. Barchi
Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Università degli Studi di Perugia; massimiliano.barchi@unipg.it

Giulia Margaritelli
Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Università degli Studi di Perugia (Guest Editor in Chief); giulia.margaritelli@unipg.it

Laura Melelli
Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Università degli Studi di Perugia; laura.melelli@unipg.it

Andrea Motti
Regione Umbria-Sezione pericolosità geologica e sismica; amotti@regione.umbria.it

Marco Pantaloni
ISPRA, Roma; marco.pantaloni@isprambiente.it


Key words: 
History of geology, Stratigraphy, Sedimentary Geology, Tectonics, Geodynamics, Geological Risks, Mineral resources, Hydrogeology, Northern Apennines, Central Italy.

Possible Topics

  • The Legacy of Bernardino Lotti and his contemporaneous: a retrospective on their fundamental contribution.
  • Historical evolution of geologic thought: tracing a century scientific progress in Central Italy.
  • The Northern Apennines as a natural laboratory: advances in stratigraphy and tectonics.
  • Tectono-sedimentary evolution of the continental passive margin of Adria
  • The Northern Apennines foreland fold-and-thrust belt
  • Advances in Geological Mapping
  • Landscapes, risks and resources of a complex region.
  • Exploring the geological wealth and resource management of the Umbria-Marche region.
 

Call for titles and authors: 31/07/2026

Call for full papers: 31/10/2026


Manuscript submission and preparation of the text

Please refer to the Instructions for Authors to prepare your manuscript.

For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact the main Guest Editor in Chief giulia.margaritelli@unipg.it

To submit a manuscript for this special issue please use the journal's submission platform (ScholarOne ManuscriptsTM). To submit your manuscript, please create you account and in the homepage click on the Author Dashboard and start your submission.

In the cover letter please specify that the manuscript is submitted for the special issue A century of geological research in Central Italy - celebrating the centennial of the publication of Bernardino Lotti's "Descrizione Geologica dell'Umbria".
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