Between Myth and Geology: When Stories Shape the Landscape

What do a landscape shaped by time and a legend passed down through generations have in common? At first glance, nothing. Yet in a UNESCO Global Geopark, geology and intangible heritage—stories, myths, rituals, and memories—intertwine in powerful and surprising ways.

The Power of Myth in the Landscapes of the Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark
Every place has its own unique natural landscape, but only a few preserve tales so ancient they seem carved into the rock. 

In the Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark, Greek mythology blends with the geological features of the land – such as the myth of Ceres and Proserpina, a symbol of Central Sicily.
According to legend, Proserpina was abducted by Hades in the valleys of Sicily’s hinterland. Her mother, Ceres, goddess of the harvest and fertility, in despair, made the land barren—giving rise to the changing of the seasons: a powerful narrative that poetically explains the cycles of nature.
Here, the geological landscape – rich in plateaus, sulfur mines, sedimentary formations, and fertile soils – becomes the perfect stage to host this ancient tale.

The Power of Storytelling as a Tool to Read the Landscape
In the Si.M.Geo. project—The Ecomuseum System of the UNESCO Geopark—storytelling is not just a means of narration, but a powerful tool for education and engagement.
In events organized throughout the Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark, such as “Grain, Stone, and Dance: A Journey through the Myth of Ceres and Tarantism” and “Water Under the Bridge in the Garden of the Nymphs”, theater becomes a way to interpret the landscape—evoking stories of migration, mining labor, water rituals, and ancestral bonds with the land.

These are not just cultural events but acts of reclaiming collective memory. They help children, young people, and adults alike rediscover the landscape as something living—inhabited by stories, emotions, and layers of meaning to be preserved and passed down.

Myths, Nature, and Communities: A Network Worth Preserving
Today more than ever, knowing a territory also means knowing how to tell its complex story.
UNESCO Global Geoparks don’t just preserve rocks, minerals, and fossils—they protect the living identity of the communities who inhabit, narrate, and shape those places.

That’s why the synergy between geology and intangible heritage is one of the pillars of the UNESCO approach: promoting sustainability, environmental education, and local participation starting from what makes each territory truly unique.
In the Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark, every stone tells a story: a narrative landscape, where geology and myth walk side by side.
Telling the story of these places is not just a cultural act—it is a gesture of care and a gift to future generations.