The Landscape of the Sulfur Mines: Book Presentation by Attilio Scimone in Calascibetta

Calascibetta – Municipal Auditorium, Via Dante | July 10, 2025

On Thursday, July 10, the Municipal Auditorium of Calascibetta hosted a new Geo-Event organized by Si.M.Geo – Ecomuseum System of the Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark, in collaboration with the GAL Rocca di Cerere Geopark.

The evening opened with institutional greetings from the Municipality of Calascibetta and the Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark, highlighting their joint commitment to promoting the landscape and cultural heritage of the region.

A Visual and Scientific Journey into the Heart of the Sulfur Mines
The event featured the presentation of the photographic book “Il Paesaggio delle Solfare – Sicilia” (The Landscape of the Sulfur Mines – Sicily) by Attilio Scimone, who introduced the volume in person, alongside Michele Brescia, co-author of one of the essays included in the book.

The publication gathers 212 photographs taken between 1988 and 1992, documenting 20 sulfur mines across Sicily through Scimone’s lens, with a keen focus on their historical, technical, and morphological dimensions.

In addition to the photographic work, the volume is enriched by essays by Gigliola Foschi, Agata Patané, Rosanna Maniscalco, Carmelo Giuseppe Bartolotta, Fausto Carmelo Nigrelli, Michele Brescia, Andrea Guastella, and Attilio Scimone himself—offering a multidimensional reading of the sulfur mine landscape as a living testimony of historical, geological, and anthropological transformations.

An Exhibition to Tell the Story of Mining Memory
To mark the book presentation, a photographic exhibition was inaugurated, showcasing a selection of images from the volume. The exhibit provided visitors with a visual journey through the complexity and evocative power of places shaped by sulfur mining activity.

The event offered an opportunity to reflect on the importance of visual documentation and scientific storytelling as powerful tools for promoting the value of industrial landscapes, now an integral part of the territorial identity of the Geopark.