The Geology of Rome and Urban Areas: the legacy of Prof. Renato Funiciello

This paper presents an overview on the geology of the city of Rome and illustrates how the city and itsevolution have been significantly affected by the active interaction with the geological environment both in terms ofresources and hazards. Roma, with its 3,000 years of history, represents a unique case - a laboratory for urbangeology. The city is still being exposed to several hazards and the knowledge of geology is mandatory to mitigate andprevent the effects of future events such as earthquakes, volcanic gas emission, floods and landslides. At the sametime, the correct management of the water and land resources needs careful planning in consideration of the very highlevel of anthropic pressure on the local environment. The study of the geology of Roma and its intimate relationshipswith the urban development of the city have been strongly influenced by the ideas of Renato Funiciello, recentlypassed away, to whom this paper is dedicated.