Geohistory of Woodland and Odeporic Sources: Experimental Historical GIS in the Case Study of Val di Fiemme and Val di Fassa (19th Century)

Abstract

This paper addresses the topic of travel literature as a source for historical ecology and the history of woodland landscapes. Drawing on insights from Oliver Rackham and Emilio Sereni, it explores the heuristic potentials and challenges of a corpus of travel writings in a case study localized in the Trentine Alps. The construction of a Historical GIS allows the systematic organization, localization, and spatial consultation of sources. Firstly, this contribution situates the research topic within the state of the art in the field of historical geography and GIS; the third paragraph illustrates the case study while the fourth paragraph outlines the used methodology. Subsequently, the corpus is analysed concerning three central themes: the itineraries of travellers, the transformation of land cover/use, and the rural practices of the past. In conclusion, the paper assesses the effectiveness of the source for studies in historical geography of woodlands and suggests the use of GIS tools for a systematic analysis of large datasets to address some challenges presented in the bibliography.