The Società Geografica Italiana formed as a geographic society in 1867 in Florence, Italy, and moved to Rome in 1872. As of 1924 it operated from headquarters in Villa Mattei in the Celio rione. The society began publishing a journal in 1868, and also sponsored scientific expeditions, such as one to Ethiopia in 1876, led by Orazio Antinori. In 1892 its members were among the first participants of the triennial Congresso geografico italiano.
Presidents of the society
Cristoforo Negri, 1867-1872
Cesare Correnti, 1873-1879
Onorato Caetani, 1879-1887
Francesco Nobili Vitelleschi, 1887-1891
Giacomo Doria, 1891-1900
Giuseppe Dalla Vedova, 1900-1906
Antonino di San Giuliano, 1906
Raffaele Cappelli, 1907-1915
Scipione Borghese, 1916-1921
Paolo Thaon di Revel, 1921-1923
Luigi Federzoni, 1923-1926
Pietro Lanza di Scalea, 1926-1928
Nicola Vacchelli, 1928-1932
Corrado Zoli, 1933-1944
Roberto Almagià, 1944-1945
Orazio Toraldo di Francia, 1945-1955
Giovanni Boaga, 1955-1961
Riccardo Riccardi, 1962-1969
Ferdinando Gribaudi, 1969-1971
Carlo Della Valle, 1971-1977
Ernesto Massi, 1978-1987
Gaetano Ferro, 1987-1997
Franco Salvatori, 1997-2013
Sergio Conti, 2013-2015
Filippo Bencardino, 2015–present