Tectonics and Structural Geology

Southern Italy

Tuna and Tufo: The geology and history of the Aegadian Islands near Sicily

Hannah Davies March 12, 2026

an image of a sea cove with rugged rocks to the right and bottom right of the image and clear blue sea water to the left and upper left of the image

Cala Rosa, "The red cove", in Favignana, Italy (By giomodica, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47696822)

The Aegadian or Egadi islands (not to be confused with the Aegean islands situated between present day Greece and Türkiye) is a small archipelago of islands around 20 km off the Western coast of Sicily. These islands are most known for their historic industries, namely for a type of rock quarried from the largest island (Favignana) and the large tuna fishery around the island. In recent times this ...[Read More]

Geomythology. The Sicilian Trilogy – Part I: Persephone on the endorheic Pergusa lake

Filippo Carboni March 18, 2022

Pergusa lake with Mt. Etna in the background. (from Achille Drago, via Wikimedia Commons).

If, in 2022, you still think that seasons depend on the Earth’s rotation around its tilted axis and around the Sun… you are surely right. However, in ancient times, the Greeks, and the Romans afterwards, thought it was due to an agreement between Zeus and Hades, to save Persephone from the Underworld. The sick love of Gods Persephone, daughter of Demeter, the Goddess of harvest and agricultu ...[Read More]