Born in Rome in 1958, he graduated in Motor Science and has a PhD Honoris Causa in Civil Protection and Integral Risk Management at the National School of Civil Protection of Mexico.
Journalist and documentary filmmaker, since 1975 he has dedicated himself to speleology, mountaineering, canyoning, rescue, diving, volcanology and other outdoor activities. On these issues he has published a hundred reports in major Italian magazines, 10 books and about twenty scientific works. He is the editor-in-chief of the geographic magazine KUR published by the association La Venta, which he co-founded in 1991.
As an author and director he has made over 120 documentaries and various series, winning numerous international awards in the field. He has worked in Italy for RAI, Mediaset, La7, Stream and Sky (MTC); abroad for National Geographic TV, NOVA, PBS, Discovery Channel, Arte, La Cinquieme, RTBF, Planète, SBS Australia, NHK Japan and others. He was co-author of the programs “Mission Nature” and “Live by miracle” on La7; in 2021 he made and conducted a series of reports for “Linea Blu” (RAI1).
Since 2019 he has taken care of the safety of filming in underground environments of various fiction, including “Romulus” and “Alfredino, an Italian Story”.
Since 2017 he has been collaborating with the European Space Agency (ESA) as part of the courses for astronauts on planetary geology (Pangaea) and cave training (Caves).In over 40 years of activity he has organized and managed over 70 research expeditions around the world, taking care of the exploration and safety sectors. For 15 years he was in charge of the Lazio team of the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps.Trainer in the field of work in height through the use of ropes and work in confined spaces, president of the Sabino Speleological Group in Italy and the Centro de Estudios Kàrsticos La Venta (CEKLAV) in Chiapas (Mexico). Also in Mexico in 2014 he created the Centro de Rescate Vertical y Espeleològico (CREVES) within the local Civil Protection, and regularly holds national courses on safety, prevention and rescue in work at high altitude. In 2018 he was appointed representative in Italy of the National School of Civil Protection.
From 1999 to 2006 he was president of the European Institute “Pangea” for education, training and environmental interpretation, based in the Circeo National Park. For the Institute, since 1998 he has held regular lectures on “Psychology and emergency response in natural environments” and “First aid techniques” for personnel in Italian protected areas. In particular, in 2019 and 2021 he oversaw the design, teaching direction and some teaching for safety courses aimed at guides to the national parks of the Tuscan Archipelago and the Belluno Dolomites.Also for the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, since 2020 it has been responsible for monitoring, risk analysis and communication about the safety of trails.
Since 1975 he has carried out an intense activity of exploration and caving documentation in Italy and abroad, aimed at underground environments in the most varied environments: limestone rocks, chalk, quartzite, ice… In Italy it has covered over 1,500 caves and exceeded 3 times the depth of 1,000 meters. Since 1979 it has organized and coordinated over 70 caving and geographical research missions in various parts of the world, with particular interest in geological, zoological and archaeological aspects, in collaboration with various Italian and other universities. Most of these missions were carried out through the La Venta Geographical Association.
Between 2006 and 2009 he was responsible for the explorations in the famous Cave of the Giant Crystals of Naica (Mexico). Since 2010 he is Master of Speleology in the School of the Federation of Speleological Lazio Region. An expert in canyoning, he has descended the main Italian canyons, some of which were first explored, and several in France and Spain. He opened number of free climbing routes in Italy, especially in Sardinia.
