Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica it is among the most influential works of Sir Isaac Newton. A valid and reliable scientific text that establishes the foundations for classical mechanics. In front of my eyes and in my hands, I find myself one last editio dating back to the MDCCXIV (1714). On a central solid wood table also masters the Geographie et Hydrographie reformatae nuper recognitae by Giovan Battista Riccioli, dating back to the MDCLXXII (1672).
In the immense cartographic heritage, geographic, meteorological, oceanographic atlases and portolans are kept in the Library of the Hydrographic Institute of the Navy: a body of the Ministry of Defense based in Genoa at the Forte San Giorgio building, formerly the seat of the Astronomical Observatory.
Founded in 1872 as the "Hydrographic Office of the Royal Navy", when Italy passes from the monarchy to the republic in the 1946 the term "Regia" is abolished and takes on the new name. The management is entrusted to the second class frigate commander, Giovanni Battista Magnaghi. The figure of the founder is linked to the development of nautical cartography and the Italian hydrographic service.
The Navy Hydrographic Institute, is the cartographic organ of the State that produces the official national nautical documentation. Enhance and control the data collected to organize them and finalize them to the production of cartography. The process involves a specific process that begins with the systematic survey of Italian seas: a coastal development greater than 7800 kilometers and over 500.000 km² of marine areas.
The Institute has three Navy hydro-oceanographic vessels specially equipped and periodically updated: Nave Admiral Magnaghi (designed and built entirely in Italy for the Navy), Nave Arethusa of the Ship Galatea. They are the so-called "white ships" for the color of the hull, dedicated to auxiliary purposes no less important than the "gray ships".
The nautical documentation produced by the Institute is both traditional and in electronic format.
In addition to the nautical charts, the CNK or the nautical charts in kit, smaller, water resistant, manageable and equally reliable compared to traditional.
To allow faster and more efficient management of navigation data, using technology, ENCs are also produced (Electronic Navigational Charts) or electronic cards.
Already from the foundation with Admiral Magnaghi, the training the hydrograph always has a primary role for the Institute.
With the 2018 / 2019 naval academy competition (GU - 4 ° special series - n.3 9 January 2018) expiring next 8 February 115 students are expected to recruit 1 ^ class. An important opportunity for young graduates aged between 17 and 22 years. Sixty students are destined for the Corps of Staff, 23 for the Marine Corps Corps, 9 for the Marine Military Commissariat Corps, 15 for the Port Capitanerie Corps, 8 for the Marine Military Corps. All information is in the contest section of the Navy's website.
The students assigned to the Corps of Staff of the normal courses follow a formative and employment process, which at the end of the Naval Academy, will lead them to assume positions of responsibility and command aboard ships and submarines or specialized departments. They will then be able to take on high-level positions on inter-force and international level during their career.
The officers of the General Staff, or "naval officers", at the end of the cycle of studies in the Naval Academy obtain the master's degree in Maritime and Naval Sciences in agreement with the University of Pisa. Among the purely naval specializations (o qualifications) that can be obtained from the officers of the staff is the IDO (special hydrograph) that is acquired at the end of a two-year course carried out at the Hydrographic Institute of the Navy of Genoa.
The IDO officer is in charge of the conduct (in hydrographic shipments) of activities related to the collection of geo-hydro-oceanographic data necessary for updating the official nautical documentation published by the hydrographic institute and aimed at the study activity in the geospatial and hydro-oceanographic. Once the boarding obligations have been fulfilled, he will take on tasks in the sector at the Institute itself, at the Naval Academy as a nautical teacher or at the United States.
At the Hydrographic Institute for Specialized Training it is planned for the 2019 / 2020, the 8 ° Edition of the II level Master in Marine Geomatics.
For research, fundamental are the agreements and collaborations with Research Institutions, Universities, Local Authorities, NATO CMRE.
Continuous professional and scientific updating is planned for all staff.
The Hydrographic Institute is involved in European and international projects for UN-GGIM (United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management) and with UNESCO Ocean Literacy. For the International Hydrographic Organization, enhanced cooperation in the hydrographic area with countries such as Albania, Croatia, Greece etc. is productive. Relevant is the support to Lebanon for the creation of a National Hydrographic Service.
It also contributes to the safety of navigation, national defense and the knowledge and enhancement of everything related to the sea from a scientific, technological and environmental point of view.
The Navy Hydrographic Institute can not be described roughly and approximately. From the Library of Forte San Giorgio, the Institute's headquarters to the Sala della Conservazione del Tempo, we will tell in the next articles the history, activities, regulations, expeditions and activities outside the area.
For the constant updating of all nautical documentation, we organize hydrographic and geodetic shipments, using vehicles, civil and military personnel and hydro-oceanographic units of the navy.
I geodetic surveys they determine the plan of a network of points useful for navigation, the topographic survey of the coasts and the hydrographic survey of the waters of competence.
I hydrographic surveys they are the mapping of the seabed and determine the depth of each point, measured by a reference level.
We will address the interest of the Hydrographic Institute and the Navy for the study of the Arctic Region and in particular the relationship between the dynamics of the Arctic glacial cover and the new navigation routes. With the involvement of the major national centers engaged in research in the Arctic (sea CNR, ENEA and OGS) and the NATO-CMRE Center (Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation) which allowed a great scientific coordination and logistical activity, was winning the Marine Geophysics Campaign High North 17. Head of Shipping was the commander Maurizio Demarte and the scientific coordinator prof. Roberta Ivaldi.
The use of an oceanographic naval unit of the Navy, Nave Alliance, allowed a return to the Hydrographic Institute as part of the scientific campaigns in the Arctic after 89 years from the undertaking of the commander Nobile with the airship Italy.
(photo: Marina Militare / author)
