In the 1990s, Maurizio Armanetti was involved in one of the most significant cases in the field of Italian water exploration: the discovery of a major underground water reserve for Italgas (public water utility) in the Rapallo area of Liguria, Italy.
For more than 85 years, the area had been the subject of unsuccessful attempts, conventional and alternative methods and drilling operations. The widespread belief among technicians and experts was that identifying a new major underground water resource there had become virtually impossible.
It was in this context that Maurizio Armanetti intervened with his own research methodology.
Through his investigation system, he identified a precise drilling point that subsequently led to the discovery of a major underground water reserve.
The discovery received significant media attention and was reported by major Italian news organizations, including Corriere della Sera, national press agencies such as ANSA, and other Italian media outlets. At the time, Italgas was a state-controlled company; today it is privatized and publicly traded on the stock market.
The Rapallo case became one of the best-known examples associated with Armanetti’s work, as the drilling operation concretely confirmed what had been identified during the preliminary research phase.
For Maurizio Armanetti, this discovery represented one of the most important moments of his professional career in the field of underground water resources.
Italgas officially recognized Maurizio Armanetti for the discovery of a major underground aquifer in
Rapallo, Liguria, achieved after nearly a century, specifically 85 years, of unsuccessful exploration attempts.
"The stratigraphy of the well identified the presence of aquifers exactly at the depths indicated by Maurizio Armanetti, specifically between the intervals of 110-130m and over 160m. The initial tests also confirmed the presumed flow rate of 20-30 l/s."
Press rewiev
Corriere della Sera is one of Italy’s oldest, most prestigious, and widely read national newspapers. Founded in Milan in 1876, it is often considered the Italian equivalent of major international newspapers such as The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal in terms of historical influence, national relevance, and institutional credibility.
It covers politics, economics, culture, science, and major national and international events, and its articles are frequently cited by television networks, institutions, and academic sources
throughout Italy. Being featured or mentioned in Corriere della Sera is generally regarded in Italy as a significant form of mainstream national
recognition.
Corriere della Sera published an article about Maurizio Armanetti and his collaboration with Italgas during a severe water shortage in the Rapallo area of Liguria.
The article reported that ITALGAS (the water utility at the time) had turned to Armanetti after both conventional and alternative methods had failed to resolve the region’s water crisis. Armanetti resolved the water crisis after 85 years of unsuccessful attempts. According to the newspaper, Armanetti identified the exact drilling location where a significant underground water source was subsequently discovered, as confirmed by drilling operations.
l'Unità is one of Italy’s most historic and politically influential newspapers. Founded in 1924 by the Italian thinker and politician Antonio Gramsci.
l'Unità published an article describing Maurizio Armanetti as the “King of Water” after his discoveries of underground water resources in Liguria during a severe drought period.
The article explains how Armanetti became known for identifying underground aquifers in areas where conventional geological research had failed, including near Rapallo and Portofino.
It highlights his unconventional research methodology, combining field sensitivity, mental concentration, and techniques inspired by Eastern disciplines.
The newspaper also reported that drilling operations confirmed significant underground water flows exactly where Armanetti had indicated, bringing attention to his work throughout Italy.