HISTORY OF COASTAL ENGINEERING IN ITALY

摘要

This condensed historical review has shown how the ingenious individual contributions of Italian hydraulic engineers, architects, mathematicians, oceanographers, geologists and even naval officers have helped the development of Coastal Engineering in a time span of over 2000 years. It is in fact acknowledged that Italy has been the leader country in the technological progress since the II century BC until the XVIIIth AD. The scarcity of natural harbours along the Italian tideless coasts has forced the Romans and later the Italians to build exposed deepwater breakwaters (particularly of monolithic composite type) and hydraulically efficient port layouts, developing modern and creative design solutions well ahead of times. The earliest shore protection works were also experimented by the Venetians.%La longue évolution historique de l'ingénierie portuaire et côtière en Italie est brièvement résumée dans cet article. L'attention est attirée sur les innovations techniques des Romains, les avancées architectoniques et mécaniques de la Renaissance, les fascinantes découvertes scientifiques de Léonard de Vinci et l'expérience précieuse des ingénieurs Vénétiens et Génois. Un bref aperçu des tendances actuelles clôture l'article.