Obsidian is a natural glass of volcanic origin derived from the cooling of an almost completely gas-less magma, similar to that of human production. Much sought after in antiquity for the manufacture of sharp tools, mainly knives, it was one of the goods that animated trade in the Mediterranean a...

Seamounts, or underwater mountains, are defined in Oceanography as independent structures that rise at least 1,000 metres above the seabed. Their summit can often stand out from the seabed for several thousand metres, without ever reaching sea level. It is estimated that there are around 30,000 un...

A volcanic structure is nothing more than the volcano itself, formed by the overlapping of lava flows and pyroclasts. It is generally conical in shape, but it can change a lot depending on the chemical composition of the magma of the specific volcano....

Volcanic eruptions are divided into two main types: effusive, where lava flows and escapes, and explosive, where the lava is fragmented by the explosion of the bubbles contained inside it. Explosive eruptions are in turn divided into 5-6 main types according to their energy, the volume of pyroclast...

A volcano is the surface manifestation of magma, i.e. molten rock mixed with gas and vapour, at high temperatures. After its eruption on the surface, the molten material is called lava. When lava solidifies, it usually accumulates to form a volcanic structure. The most important parts of a volca...

Before starting our journey between the volcanoes, we should know the meaning of the UNESCO acronym. What is it? What does it involve? UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Founded on 4 November 1945 in Paris, just after the end of the Second World War, it ...

A barrel vault is a non-planar roof system. In fact, its semi-cylindrical shape derives from the arch and it is usually used to roof rectangular rooms....

A civil engineer and architect, the son of the more famous Francesco Paolo Labisi, he oversaw the works on the new body of Palazzo Trigona. The commissioner Bernardo Trigona had such a long-standing relationship with Paolo Labisi that he baptised his son with the same name as the Marquis. He als...

Cagnoli or cagnuoli is the dialect word for balcony corbels. They can be highly diverse in shape, and are also called mascheroni (masks) that often have allegorical meanings....

The origins of the Trigona family are linked to Piazza Armerina and perhaps even before that, to French origins from the castle of Trigone in Picardy. They later settled in Noto and had a slow but effective ascent thanks to their skills and obtained the trust of the most powerful feudal lords....