About me

About me

My name is Marco Barbieri, and I’m a freelance cartographer, hiker, and mountain enthusiast. For over twenty years, I’ve been mapping landscapes with a focus on data accuracy and the visual expression of terrain.

MountainCarto is a special project born from the desire to combine technical cartography with aesthetic sensibility. Each map is the result of a process that starts from the elaboration of elevation and thematic data and evolves into a detailed three-dimensional representation: light, shadow, color, and perspective are carefully crafted to reveal the shape and nature of the mountains.

This approach is rooted in personal experiences: my background in Geological Sciences, my regular time spent in the mountains, and my passion for landscape photography (which I practice as an amateur). Through MountainCarto, I aim to transfer the true forms and feel of the terrain onto paper—simplifying the landscape while making it readable, without sacrificing visual expressiveness.

Over the years, I’ve collaborated with organizations such as the Italian Alpine Club (CAI), various national and regional parks, and other institutions—mainly for hiking cartography projects. I also contribute to OpenStreetMap, the world’s leading open and collaborative mapping platform.

If you’d like to explore other projects I’ve worked on, visit my online portfolio or my LinkedIn profile.

The maps available on this site are the result of personal work, cared for at every stage—from data selection to graphic composition, all the way to professional printing. The choice of materials, color rendering, and the quality of offset printing are all part of my process, with the goal of offering a product that is accurate, legible, and visually appealing.

Every now and then, whether for pleasure or work, I get to explore the places I map. I feel especially connected to the hiking trails of the Apennines, Dolomites, Alps, and mountain regions in general—even beyond the borders of Italy. (But I don’t mind the sea either—especially when there are waves: whenever I can, I grab my board and go for a surf.)

Thanks for making it this far!