Italy has played a crucial role in the history of meteorology, contributing to the development of observational methods, from key pioneering meteorological instruments to establishing the first international observation network, the so-called “Medici Network”. As a result, an extensive collection of valuable meteorological data has been preserved in Italian archives over the past three centuries. Despite previous efforts to safeguard and digitize a portion of this heritage, a significant amount of data remains available only in paper format. This makes it vulnerable to deterioration over time, posing a risk of losing irreplaceable scientific information essential for meteorological and climate-related research, including climate change assessments.
Among records yet to be recovered, a particularly important subset includes meteorological data collected in regions once governed by Italy between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia, Libya, the Dodecanese Islands, Albania, Dalmatia, and Istria. Within this context has been established the Dieci e Lode project, a collaborative initiative bringing together researchers from various institutions under the auspices of the Italian Association of Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (AISAM). Funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture, this project seeks to conduct an extensive search for historical meteorological data from these areas during the specified periods.
During this research, the primary source is the National Meteorological Archive of the Council for Research in Agricultural Economy (CREA) in Rome, specifically the Historical Central Library of Italian Meteorology. The initiative includes a large-scale photographic scanning effort, aimed at making images of the data sheets and volumes freely accessible online. In total, approximately 40,000 pages are expected to be digitized.
By making these records available, the project will significantly enhance the understanding of historical climate patterns in these regions, many of which currently lack extensive meteorological collections. In addition, these data are particularly valuable for modern meteorological offices operating in those areas, helping them place contemporary weather observations in a broader historical context, thereby improving the study of climate change.