TOURING CLUB ITALIANO. — An association whose purpose is to promote knowledge of Italy among Italians and foreigners and to foster Italian tourism in all its aspects. Founded in Milan in 1894 under the name “Touring Club Ciclistico Italiano” on the initiative of several bicycle enthusiasts, it changed its name to the present one in 1900 and soon became one of the country’s most powerful private associations; it currently has approximately 400,000 members.
Characteristic features of its organization are the modest membership fee and the fact that its members, scattered throughout Italy and the world, maintain direct relations with the sole headquarters (Milan). It is governed by a council of no fewer than 18 and no more than 24 members, which chooses from among its own members a president, two vice presidents, and the holders of the other offices, all unpaid. The T. C. I. is also represented in the principal cities of Italy by approximately 7,000 consuls and in
TOURING CLUB ITALIANO — Portrait of Luigi V. Bertarelli, one of the founders and a great driving force behind the Association, of which he was President from 1919 to 1926.
and in many foreign countries by its own delegates. The chief merit of the T. C. I. is that it has provided Italy with tourist cartography and literature superior to those of any other country. The dispatch to members of free publications, or of publications available for a modest contribution, has always constituted the principal return on the membership fee; these are for the most part reference works (guides, maps, illustrated monographs), of practical use and easy to read, intended to illustrate Italy analytically in all its aspects, but especially for the use of tourists. Particularly noteworthy, for their scientific character, are the great Atlante internazionale del T. C. I., the most modern and richest reference atlas in existence today, and the Atlante fisico-economico d'Italia.
In the field of active tourism, the T. C. I. organizes national excursions, reserved for members, in the various regions of Italy, individual and group holidays, camps, cruises, etc. The activities of the T. C. I. in this field almost always aim to make the less familiar regions of Italy known or to encourage the spread of new forms of tourism.
Within the T. C. I. organizations have arisen such as school tourism, which promotes tourism among young people, and the Cassa Viaggi e Vacanze, whose purpose is to promote saving for tourism.
Other initiatives include the Istituto Sperimentale Stradale, founded in Milan in 1921 with the aim of studying the technical problems of road construction and maintenance; and the Ufficio tecnico segnalazioni stradali, which since its foundation has equipped Italy’s roads with approximately 400,000 signs.
Among the publications of the T. C. I. are the following (for those still in publication, the year of commencement is given in parentheses): Journals: Le Vie d'Italia, monthly (founded in 1895 under the name Rivista mensile del Touring Club Ciclistico Italiano, it assumed its present name in 1920); Le Vie del Mondo, monthly (1924); Monti e boschi, monthly (1950); continues the work of the journal L'Alpe (1928–38); Turismo e alberghi, monthly (1947); continues the work of the journal L'Albergo in Italia (1925–43); Le Strade, monthly (1919); Marco Polo, bimonthly, organ of the Turismo scolastico del T. C. I. (1950); resumes the work of the journal La Sorgente (1917–1928). The series Attraverso l'Italia, 20 illustrated regional monographs with approximately 500 black-and-white illustrations and color plates (1930). Guides: Guida d'Italia, 23 vols. (1913); Guida breve d'Italia, 3 vols. (1937); Guida dei Monti d'Italia, thus far 13 vols., out of approximately 45 (1934); Guida da rifugio a rifugio, 6 vols., out of approximately 12 (1929); Guida d'Italia per gli stranieri, comprising volumes in the principal languages (1922). Cartography: Carta d'Italia al 250.000, in 62 sheets (1906); Carta automobilistica d'Italia al 200.000, in 28 sheets (1934); Carta automobilistica della Svizzera al 200.000, in 4 sheets (1949); Carta automobilistica d'Italia al 650.000, in 2 sheets (1909); Carta stradale d'Italia all'800.000, in 1 sheet (1948); Carta d'Italia al 500.000, in 13 sheets (1933); Nuova carta generale d'Italia al 500.000, in 4 sheets (1950); Carta stradale d'Europa al 500.000, in approximately 37 sheets (1951); Grande atlante internazionale, 176 plates (1927); Atlante fisico-economico d'Italia, 82 plates (1940); Annuario generale, directory of the municipalities and hamlets of Italy (1904).