The Touring Club Italiano (TCI) (Italian Touring Club or Touring Club of Italy) is the major Italian national tourist organization.
The Touring Club Ciclistico Italiano (TCCI) was founded on 8 November 1894 by a group of bicyclists to promote the values of cycling and travel; its founding president was . It published its first maps in 1897. By 1899, it had 16,000 members. With the new century, it promoted tourism in all its forms – including auto tourism – and the appreciation of the natural and urban environments. Under
fascism
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and t ...
, starting in 1937, it was forced to Italianize its name to the Consociazione Turistica Italiana.
Through the years, it has produced a wide variety of maps, guidebooks, and more specialized studies, and is known for its high standard of
cartography
Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an i ...
. Its detailed road maps of Italy are published at 1:200,000, one per
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
.
Publishing activity
Its most prestigious guidebooks are the "Guide Rosse" (not to be confused with the
Michelin
Michelin (; ; full name: ) is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ''région'' of France. It is the second largest tyre manufacturer in the world behind Bridgestone and larg ...
Red Guide
The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of a ...
s), which cover Italy in 23 highly detailed volumes printed on bible paper; the TCI also produces a wide variety of other guides to Italy. During the Fascist period, the red guides were also extended to cover Italian colonies and overseas territories.
Among many other publications the Touring Club Italiano, along with
Club Alpino Italiano
The Club Alpino Italiano is the senior Italian alpine club which stages climbing competitions, operates alpine huts, marks and maintains paths, and is active in protecting the Alpine environment.
It was founded in Turin in 1863 by the then fina ...
, published between 1908 and 2013 the ''
Guida dei Monti d'Italia'' (in English ''Guidebook to the Italian mountains''), a series of guidebooks covering all the mountain ranges of Italy.
The TCI also publishes translations of foreign guidebooks such as the French
Guide Bleu.
See also
*
Atlante Internazionale del Touring Club Italiano, an international atlas published by the TCI.
Notes
Further reading
* circa 1900?
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* ''Guida Gastronomica d'Italia'', 1931
External links
Official site
Tourism agencies
Tourism in Italy
1894 establishments in Italy
Travel guide books
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