7.1 FIG member-organisation
Consiglio Nazionale dei Geometri.
Organised through provincial branches (colleges).
7.2 Other related organisations
- Albo dei Periti Agrari
- Albo dei Periti Industriali Edili
7.3 Relevant factors
(1) The functions of the geometra are laid down in article l6 of Law 274 of l929, and as modified and amended by Laws 1086 of 1971 and law 64 of 1974. Both laws clearly state that the "Geometra" who has successfully passed the state examination ((F) of Appendix A7) is allowed to design, supervise and project manage building works where reinforced concrete, prestressed or precast concrete and steelwork is used. The title of "Geometra" is protected by law in Italy. These factors have been considered in drawing up Appendix C7.
(2) An essential factor governing the operations of the geometra is a determination of the size of project: his functions are limited on the basis of the area to be mapped; to the size of town where he can offer his technical, building and city planning expertise; but there is no limitation to the size of the building and/or structure he may design, supervise or project manage.
(3) The national mapping agency Istituto Geografico Militare (IGM) executes mapping at scales up to 1:25,000. Municipalities do not have well-developed surveying and mapping capabilities of their own (except in the very large cities), and generally they make use of the services of surveyors and topographer-cartographers.
Other mapping organisations are Il Catasto, L'Istituto Idrografico Militare di Marina (IIM), Centro Informazioni Geotopocartografico Aeronautica Militare, and Istituto di Rilievi Terrestri e Aerei (IRTA)
(4) Mapping at scales of l:5,000 and larger is carried out by surveyors who follow the specifications laid down by the state or other bodies.
(5) Land Remembrement is a serious problem in Italy because the cadastre is of a fiscal nature.
(6) Many geometers use modern methods (EDM, computers and photogrammetry) to carry out their work. They frequently work in co-operatives and in conjunction with the computer service departments, for example, with the Polytechnic of Milan.
7.4 Education
(See appendices A7 and B7 )
(l) There are currently (1995) five experimental, three-year post secondary, university courses leading to the University Diploma Di Geometra. There are currently 50 students in each of the following universities: L'Aquila, Camerino, Calabria, Parma and Bergamo.
There are currently University Diploma courses in Photogrammetry and Topography at the University of Florence, within the Engineering Department. They are three year courses at the end of which the Diploma Universitario expert Topographer is awarded.
There are also in-house courses run by Istituto Geografico Militare (IGM), L'Istituto Idrografico Militare di Marina (IIM),and the Centro Informazioni Geotopocartografico Aeronautica Militare. These last between one and three years and are comparable to university diploma courses in Hydrography, Topography, Photogrammetry, Mapping, GIS and Geodesy.
(2) There are some 300 technical institutes for Geometri each turning out approximately 30 qualified geometri per annum (see Fig A7). Compulsory schooling stops at 14 years of age.
(3) The curriculum of the geometer institue contains the following subjects
Hours of lessons per week
Subjects Hours per week Examinations
|---Two year---|--Three year course--|
course
Class Class Class Class Class
I II III IV V
Religion 1 1 1 1 1 -
Italian language and letters 5 5 3 3 3 o.s.
History and civic education 2 2 2 2 2 o.
Foreign language 3 3 - - - o.s.
Mathematics 5 4 4 3 - o.s.
Physics 2 2 3 - - o.p.
Natural sciences and geography 4 4 - - - o.
Chemistry 2 3 2 - - o.
Technical drawing 4 4 - - - g.
Rural technology - - 4 - - o.
Economics and accounting - - 3 2 - o.
Estimating - - - 2 5 o.s.
Construction technology - - 2 4 3 o.g.
Constructions - - 4 4 7 o.s.g.p.
Topography - - 4 8 7 o.s.g.p.
Elements of law - - - 2 3 o.
Physical education 2 2 2 2 2 p.
GENERAL TOTALS 30 30 34 33 33
[Examinations: o = oral; s = written; p = practical; g = drawing]
(4) A written and oral examination, evaluated with different marking scales, is held at the end of the course.
(5) Examinations are set by a qualified civil servant and selected teachers.
(6) Upon successful completion of their studies, students may seek admission to any university department, or, following completion of two years professional training and passing the state examination (F), they may freely exercise the profession as geometers, pursuant to Law 274 of 1929, law 1086 of 1971, and law 64 of 1974.
Of the 82 500 Geometers, 60% operate as building surveyors, 25% as quantity surveyors, arbiters, valuers and cost controllers, 10% as land surveyors (topographers), and 5% in other activities.
(7) The equipment used in surveying teaching at the school visited (in 1977) was very comprehensive, and included a Stereosimplex II, two Stereomicrometers and a Nistri photomapper; a Wild DI-l0, approximately 20 modern theodolites and levels from all the main manufacturers, a Santoni phototheodolite (1977) as well as a number of electro-optical distance measurers. Almost all the geometer schools in Italy are equipped with technologically advanced equipment, while all are supplied with laboratories and materials for practical and theoretical trials and materials testing.
(8) Ordinarily, the other laboratories are equipped to the usual standards of an upper secondary school, although the agricultural laboratories are very extensively equipped.
7.5 Professional Practice
(See appendix C7)
(1) Figure C7 illustrates a composite breakdown of the professional activities.
(2) An innovative law has been passed (Law No 75 of 7 March l985) which establishes a period of two years "apprenticeship" with a professional practice of engineers - architects - surveyors, or alternatively five years" "apprenticeship" with a building company or technical firm. After completing this training period, which entails registration in a Trainees Roll, the candidate must sit for a State examination, held by the Ministry of Public Education once a year, in collaboration with the Consiglio Nazionale Geometri.(G) (A7)
This examination consists of two written /graphic tests and one oral test. The first written tests concern the design of a building, the second the design of a road, and a topography problem, involving notions of appraisal. If the candidate does not receive a passing grade in both written papers he may not sit the oral test, whose purpose is to ascertain whether the candidate possesses the indispensable requisites to practice the surveying profession.
This test, which centres on topics drawn from the candidate's experience during his apprenticeship period and discussion of the written papers and relevant drawings, involves (within the limits of what current legislation defines as the surveying profession's field of competence) the following factors.
- The design and construction of buildings, roads and cadastral work, relating to both new structures and the recovery or maintenance of others; with reference to materials, construction techniques, dimensioning, works supervision and accounting, site management and current regulations (town planning projects which also include energy consumption reduction, safety-related matters etc.
- Topographic surveying instruments; methods, techniques and relevant applications; mapping work, organisation, standards and regulations;
- Appraisal theory and methods, the professional aspects of building, rural, special and cadastral appraisal and relevant standards and regulations; building, rural, special and cadastral appraisal and relative standards and regulations;
-
Notions of civil administrative public and private law necessary for professional practice; the profession's statutes. The examination board consists of a Chairman, selected among tenure university professors, associates or the principals of the Geometer Institutes; a teacher of technical subjects at a Technical Institute for Geometers and three representatives of the surveying profession, who must have been registered in the professional Roll for at least ten years.
The examinations are held in one annual session, which begins in the first half of November. The first actual application of this new law took place in November l986.
The Consiglio Nazionale Geometri has issued directives concerning the keeping of the Trainees Register, which is in fact the official document that attests effective completion of the compulsory two-year apprenticeship period necessary to sit the State examination.
The examination must be of a professionally specific, and not didactic, nature, and must therefore not represent a mere repetition of scholastic notions, but must instead ascertain the acquisition of a technically -professional preparation, sufficient to guarantee the candidate's maturity to initiate professional practice.
(3) A typical firm comprises an owner, and generally 5 workers; whilst a geometer firm specialising in photogrammetry typically has 25 employees. The stereo-operators are trained on a course run by the Geological Survey Department, and several firms are now run by former military surveyors.
7.6 Acknowledgements
The author was indebted to Mr Pietro Raffaelli and members of the Consiglio Nazionale Geometri for their assistance in the preparation of the 1989 report. This 1995 edition has been updated by Mr Gianfranco Morocutti, the current president of the Consiglio Nazionale Geometri, and by Luciano Capaldo, a geometra working in England, who has contributed enormously to the task.
7.7 Publications
Consiglio Nazionale Geometri (CNG) (bi-monthly)
L'Universo. Istituto Geografico Militare (IGM).(bi-monthly)
Il Bolletino di Geodesia at S A (tri-monthly) (IGM)
Geocentro (CPG) (Quarterly)
Azimut (CPG Ancona) (tri-monthly)
Prospettive Geometri (CPG Bolzano) (monthly)
Il Bolletino del Geometra (CPG Forli) ( tri-monthly)
Bolletino Tecnico (CPG Parma) (tri-monthly)
Il Geometra (CPG Torino) (monthly)
Dimensione Geometra (CPG Udine) (monthly)
7.8 References
(1) Law no 75, dated 7th March 1985 relating to modifications in the regulation of the Geometers Profession.
(2) Regulation for the qualifying State examinations for the profession of surveyor. (English translation). Official Gazette of the Republic of Italy - March l986.
(3) Decree of 14th July 1987, relating to modifications in the State examinations.
(4) Ordinances for the creation of a state examination system.
(5) Consiglio Nazionale Geometri directives relating to apprenticeships.
(6) Correspondence with Pietro Raffaelli of the Consiglio. Personal discussion notes and correspondence made in 1995 with G Morocutti and L Capaldo (see (6)).
(7) Presidential Decree 1 5 1972 no 825. Subjects and timetable of Geometer course of study (Translated to English by L Capaldo 1995)
(8) Law 274 of 1929 (English translation by L Capaldo 1995)
(9) Law 1086 of 1971 (English translation by L Capaldo 1995)
(10) Law 64 of 1974 (English translation by L Capaldo 1995)
7.9 Useful addresses
Consiglio Nazionale Geometri
Via Barberini 68
00187 Rome
University of L'Aquila
Monteluco di Roio
L'Aquila
Direzione Generale Catasto
Largo Leopardi 5
00195 Rome
University of Camerino (MC)
Via del Bastione 3
Camerino
Istituto Geografico Militare (IGM)
Via Cesare Battisti 10
50100 Firenze
University of Parma
Vialle delle Scienze 78
Parma
Istituto Idrografico Marina Militare (IIMM)
Via Passo All'Osservatorio 4
16134 Genova
University of Calabria
Rende (CS)
Arcavacata di Rende
Calabria
Centro Informazioni Geotopocartografica Aeronautica Militare (CIGA)
Via Pratica di Mare 45
00040 Pomezia
Roma
University of Bergamo
Bergamo
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