Geomorphological and Geotourist Maps of the Upper Tagliole Valley (Modena Apennines, Northern Italy)

This paper considers the geomorphological map and the criteria and methodology used for the production of a geo-tourist map of the upper Tagliole Valley – which is located in the Frignano Park (high Modena Apennines, Italy). These documents, at the 1:10,000 scale, elaborated by means of ArcView GIS computer programme, should help to explain the landscape of this area to tourists. The Regional Technical Map (CTR) of the Emilia-Romagna Region was used as the topographic basis for their elaboration.The geomorphological features of the study area are represented in detail in the geomorphological map. The landforms and deposits of the upper Tagliole Valley, characterised by arenaceous rock types, may be grouped according to the following systems or groups of morphogenetic factors and processes: structural landforms, glacial landforms and deposits, cryogenetic landforms and deposits, landforms and deposits due to running waters, slope landforms, deposits due to gravity, anthropogenetic landforms.The geo-tourist map was derived (with appropriate simplifications and integrations) from the geomorphological map. The geo-tourist map combines the most evident geological-geomorphological features (e.g. bedrock, hydrography, glacial landforms and deposits, scarps, ridges, saddles, waterfalls) – which can be observed and recognised even by non-experts – with basic tourist information (e.g., parking places, excursion trails, refuges, picnic areas). The geo-tourist map is the characterising document of a tourist-environmental map of the upper Tagliole Valley.This article proves that geomorphological research can effectively contribute to the implementation of documents and maps useful in the field of tourism.