Charting Newly Created Statehood: A Maritime Survey of the Adriatic by the Joint Forces of the Austro-Hungarian and Italian Hydrographic Offices

Abstract

The process of political and territorial unification of the Kingdom of Italy (1860) and Austria-Hungary (1867) highlighted the issues of territoriality both on land and at sea. As a part of that effort, a need of maritime survey of the Adriatic conducted by the joint forces of the Austro-Hungarian and Italian hydrographic offices appeared. The purpose of this endeavour was to enable the production of modern charts based on a comprehensive survey covering the whole sea surface area, from coast to coast. Under the supervision of Commander Tobias Ritter von Oesterreicher and Counter-Admiral Duke Antonio Imbert, the survey started in 1866 and, by the end of 1873, resulted in a general chart of the Adriatic, 4 course charts of the Adriatic Sea, 55 coastal charts as well as number of harbour plans. This paper presents an analysis of the course of the survey, its products as well as its impact on the subsequent cartography of the Adriatic Sea.

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