Istituto Geografico Centrale

File:Espositore carte igc torino piazza san carlo.jpg

IGC was established by Giuseppe Candeletti in 1952.{{cite book|author= Fondazione per il libro, la musica e la cultura |title= Salone del libro - catalogo espositori 2008 |year= 2008 |publisher= Officine Grafiche Editoriali Zeppegno |pages= 165 }} Its first products were some very detailed maps of Turin and the Guida Toponomastica di Torino (Toponomastic guide of Turin). The following year IGC published an 'Atlante di Milano (Atlas of Milan) at scale of 1:5,000 .{{cite book

|title = A List of Geographical Atlases in the Library of Congress, Volume 6

|publisher = Library of Congress

| year = 1953

|access-date = 2019-01-05

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ELdMAQAAIAAJ&q=%22istituto+geografico+centrale%22+cartine

}}

Some year later IGC started with mountaineering publishing, which in those years was expanding in Italy. After a first 1:50,000 map about the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso other 1:50,000 maps appeared, gradually covering the Alps from Lombardy to Liguria. Later on other 1:50,000 maps about hills and plains of NW Italy followed, and IGC also published more detailed maps, at scale of 1:25,000, mainly intended for climbers and alpinists and also reporting, aside footpaths and ascent routes, also mountain bike tracks and ski mountaineering routes.

The Istituto geografico Centrale is recognised for the role it played for decades in support of hiking and alpinism in the Western Alps.{{cite web | title = Valli Maira, Grana, Stura | publisher = Alpinia.net | url = http://www.alpinia.net/editoria/recensioni/rec_scheda.php?id=1661|access-date = 2019-01-05 }} Although other map publishers appeared in Italy IGC maps, at least as far as 2012, were still considered highly widespread{{cite web |language = it | title = Quaderno di Escursionismo n° 2 - GPS - MS Mountain | date = 2012-11-10 | url = http://www.msmountain.it/varie/quaderni/quaderno02v1.3-gps.pdf | publisher = msmountain.it |access-date = 2019-01-07 }} and the only ones able to cover the whole Piedmont area.... le intramontabili carte dell'Igc, Istituto geografico centrale, in scala 1:50.000, le uniche che coprono l'intera regione (... the timeless IGC maps, at scale of 1:50,000, the only ones which cover the entire region; {{cite web | title = Libri di montagna in città | publisher = Compagnia di San Paolo | url = http://www.torinoelealpi.it/i-libri-di-montagna-a-torino/ | access-date = 2019-01-05 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304070245/http://www.torinoelealpi.it/i-libri-di-montagna-a-torino/ | archive-date = 2016-03-04 | url-status = dead }}

File:Guide IGC.jpg

Alongside its maps I.G.C. also published the Guide IGC, a serie of guide books signed by the alpinist Giulio Berutto, who was one of the authors of CAI reference books making up the Guida dei Monti d'Italia. Each of Berutto's guide book, consisting in one or two volumes, covers the area of one of the 1:50,000 IGC map with a wide range of hiking, climbing and mountain bike itineraries.{{cite web

|title = Gran Bosco di Salbertrand

|publisher = Regione Piemonte - Ente di gestione delle aree protette delle Alpi Cozie

|url =http://www.regione.piemonte.it/parchi/cms/dwd/entiGestione/01_alpiCozie/Salbertrand.pdf

|access-date = 2019-01-07

|language = it

}} Despite its author's death in November 2004,{{cite web | publisher = Club Alpino Italiano of Venaria Reale | url = http://www.caivenaria.it/sito/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=78 | title = DVD - CD - videocassette | access-date = 2019-01-07 | language = it | archive-date = 2016-03-04 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092506/http://www.caivenaria.it/sito/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=78 | url-status = dead }} which stopped further issues of the serie, many of the Guide IGC are still considered a reference by hikers and alpine huts managers.{{cite web | title = Le guide di riferimento | publisher = Rifugio Val Gravio | url = http://www.rifugiovalgravio.it/index.php?section=/guide.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160820002520/http://www.rifugiovalgravio.it/index.php?section=%2Fguide.html |date= 2007-11-16 |archive-date = 2016-08-20 |access-date = 2019-01-07 |language = it }}

IGC manages a bookshop, also established in 1952, dealing with technical and scientific mapping like aeronautical and nautical charts, administrative and geological maps etc. Before digitalisation it also used to sell the maps published by national mapping agencies from European and, if available, extra-European countries. It also works as a branch of CAI.{{cite web

|title = La nostra libreria

|publisher = Istituto Geografico Centrale

|url = http://www.istitutogeograficocentrale.it/ita/libreria.asp

|access-date = 2019-01-07

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121203175755/http://www.istitutogeograficocentrale.it/ita/libreria.asp

|archive-date = 2012-12-03

|language = it}}

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Category:1952 establishments in Italy

Category:Map companies of Italy

Category:Publishing companies of Italy