Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Potential Geosite of the “Libeccio Antico” Quarries: a Sedimentological and Stratigraphic Characterisation of Ornamental Stone from Mt Cocuccio, Custonaci Marble District, Sicily

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Geoheritage Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Custonaci marble district of western Sicily is known for the production of a valuable ornamental stone that has been, and nowadays is exploited due to its suitable properties and aesthetic qualities. The “Libeccio Antico” was, among the “marbles”, the most appreciated ornamental stone during the Baroque Age (the XVII–XVIII centuries), due to its strong polychrome contrasts from ivory to yellow, green or dark red. This polychrome pattern is the result of dissolution processes that involved an Upper Triassic peritidal limestone. The varicoloured sediments in paleocavities, collapse breccias, paleosols and neptunian dykes that occur in the “Libeccio Antico” represent the peculiar characteristics that have given this stone its particular ornamental interest.

This study provides an original sedimentological and stratigraphical analysis of the Upper Triassic carbonate succession in which most of the “Libeccio Antico” quarries occur. Petrophysic descriptions, accompanied by mineralogical and geochemical characterisations, are provided to comprehensively describe the diagenetic evolution of the carbonate host rock. This study emphasises as the “Libeccio Antico” represents a unique geoarchive among ornamental stones due to its origin, which involved diagenetic processes that occurred in a well-defined geological environment and over a restricted period of time. Moreover, this “marble” is frequently mentioned by architects, historians, naturalists and geologists in historical archives from the XVIII century in Sicily. All of these characteristics make the “Libeccio Antico” quarries a valuable geosite that should be promoted.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abate B, Catalano R, D’Argenio B, Di Stefano P, Riccobono R (1977) Relationships of algae with depositional environments and faunal assemblages of the panormide carbonate platform, Upper Triassic, Northwestern Sicily. In: Flügel E (ed) Fossil algae. Elsevier, Berlin, pp 293–313

    Google Scholar 

  • Abate B, Catalano R, D’Argenio B, Di Stefano E, Di Stefano P, Lo Cicero G, Renda P (1981) Stratigraphy and sedimentary facies of the surveyed region. In: Palaeogeographic evolution of a continental margin in Sicily: guidebook of the field trip in western Sicily, September 12–14, 1981 (Ed. By R. Catalano and B. D’Argenio), Istituto di Geologia Università di Palermo, Palermo pp 51–115

  • Abate B, Di Maggio C, Incandela A, Renda P (1991) Nuovi dati sulla geologia della penisola di Capo San Vito (Sicilia Nord-Occidentale). Mem Soc Geol Ital 47:15–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Back W, Hanshaw BB, Herman JS, Van Driel JN (1986) Differential dissolution of a Pleistocene reef in the groundwater mixing zone of coastal Yucatan, Mexico. Geology 14:137–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beach DK (1995) Controls and effects of subaerial exposure on cementation and development of secondary porosity in the subsurface of Great Bahama Bank. In: Budd DA, Saller AH, Harris PM (eds) Unconformities and porosity in carbonate strata. Am Assoc Pet Geol, 63:1–33

  • Bellanca A (1969) I marmi di Sicilia. IRFIS, Palermo

    Google Scholar 

  • Catalano R, D’Argenio B (1982) Schema Geologico della Sicilia. In: Guide Geologiche Regionali, Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, Suppl A 24: 9–41

  • Catalano R, D’Argenio B, Lo Cicero G (1974) Ritmi deposizionali e processi diagenetici nella successione triassica di piattaforma carbonatica dei Monti Di Palermo. Boll Soc Geol Ital 93:1029–1041

    Google Scholar 

  • Choquette PW, Pray LC (1970) Geologic nomenclature and classification of porosity insedimentary carbonates. Am Assoc Pet Geol Bull 54:207–250. https://doi.org/10.1306/5D25C98B-16C1-11D7-8645000102C1865D

    Google Scholar 

  • Ciarapica G (2007) Regional and global changes around the Triassic-Jurassic boundary reflected in the Late Norian-Hettangian history of the Apennine basins. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 244:34–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2006.06.022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Argenio B, Ferreri V, Amodio S, Pelosi N (1997) Hierarchy of high-frequency orbital cycles in cretaceous carbonate platform strata. Sediment Geol 113:169–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Stefano P, Mindszenty A (2000) Fe–Mn-encrusted “Kamenitza” and associated features in the Jurassic of Monte Kumeta (Sicily): subaerial and/or submarine dissolution? Sediment Geol 132:37–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Stefano P, Alessi A, And Gullo M (1996) Mesozoic and paleogene megabreccias in Southern Sicily: new data on the Triassic paleomargin of the Siculo-Tunisian Platform. Facies 34:101–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Stefano P, Favara R, Luzio D, Renda P, Cacciatore MS, Calò M, Napoli G, Parisi L, Todaro S, Zarcone G (2015) A regional-scale discontinuity in western Sicily revealed by a multidisciplinary approach: a new piece for understanding the geodynamic puzzle of the southern Mediterranean. Tectonics 34:2067–2085. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014TC003759

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finetti IR, Del Ben A (2005) Ionian Tethys lithosphere roll-back sinking and back-arc tyrrhenian opening from new CROP seismic data. In: Finetti IR (ed) CROP project: deep seismic exploration of the Central Mediterranean and Italy. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 483–504

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer AG (1964) The Lofer cyclotehems of the Alpine Triassic. Kansas Geological Survey Bull 169:107–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Flügel E (2004) Microfacies of carbonate rocks. Springer, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Hernandez M, Mas JR, Molina JM, Ruiz-Ortiz PA, Vera JA (1988) Episodio de Karstificacion en litorales insulares del Jurassico superior (Fm. Ammonıtico Rosso,Subbetico externo, Provincia de Cordoba). III Col. Estrat. Paleog. Jura’sico de Espana, Logrono, Abstracts, 32–35,G.E.M

  • Hesselbo SP, Mc Roberts CA, Pálfy J (2007) Triassic–Jurassic boundary events: problems, progress, possibilities. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 244:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkyns HC (1986) Pelagic environments. In: Reading HG (ed) Sedimentary environments and facies, 2nd edn. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 343–397

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendall AC (1985) Radiaxial fibrous calcite: a reappraisal. In: Schneidermann N, Harris PM (eds) Carbonate cements, SEPM special pubblication, 36: 59–77. https://doi.org/10.2110/pec.85.36.0059

  • Loucks RG (1999) Paleocave carbonate reservoirs: origins, burial-depth modifications, spatial complexity, and reservoir implications. AAPG Bull 83(11):1795–1834

    Google Scholar 

  • Mindszenty A, Galacz A, Dodony I, Cronan DS (1986) Palaeoenvironmental significance of ferromanganese oxide concretions from the Hungarian Jurassic. Chem Erde 45:177–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Montana G, Gaiardo Briuccia V (1998) I marmi e i diaspri del barocco siciliano. Flaccovio Editore, Palermo

    Google Scholar 

  • Muttoni G, Tartarotti P, Chiari M, Marieni C, Rodelli D, Dallanave E, Kirscher U (2015) Paleo-latitudes of Late Triassic radiolarian cherts from Argolis, Greece: insights on the paleogeography of the western Tethys. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 417:476–490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.10.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patacca E, Scandone P, Giunta G, Liguori V (1979) Mesozoic paleotectonic evolution of the Ragusa Zone (southeastern Sicily). Geol Romana 18:331–369

    Google Scholar 

  • Santantonio M (1993) Facies associations and evolution of pelagic carbonate platform/basin systems: examples from the Italian Jurassic. Sedimentology 40:1039–1067. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.1993.tb01379.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savalli Angela (2003) Le pietre ornamentali delle chiese barocche in provincia di Trapani. Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia. Master thesis

  • Todaro S, Hollis C, Di Stefano P (2016) Spongy-like porosity in peritidal carbonates: an interaction of cyclic sea-level oscillations, fresh water supply and sediment texture. Sediment Geol 333:70–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2015.12.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Todaro S, Di Stefano P, Zarcone G, Randazzo V (2017) Facies stacking and extinctions across the Triassic–Jurassic boundary in a peritidal succession from western Sicily. Facies 63:20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10347-017-0500-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Todaro S, Rigo M, Randazzo V, Di Stefano P (2018) The end-Triassic mass extinction: a new correlation between extinction events and δ13C fluctuations from a Triassic-Jurassic peritidal succession in western Sicily. Sediment Geol 368:105–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veizer J, Ala D, Azmy K, Bruckschen P, Buhl D, Bruhn F, Carden GAF, Diener A, Ebneth S, Godderis Y, Jasper T, Korte C, Pawellek F, Podlaha OG, Strauss H (1999) 87Sr/86Sr, δ13C and δ18O evolution of Phanerozoic seawater. Chem Geol 161:59–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0009-2541(99)00081-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vera JA, Ruiz-Ortiz PA, Garcia-Hernandez M, Molina JM (1988) Paleokarst and related pelagic sediments in the Jurassic of Subbetic Zone, Southern Spain. In: James NP, Choquette PW (eds) Paleokarst. Springer-Verlag, New York, pp 364–384

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wendt J (1971) Genese und Fauna submariner sedimentärer Spaltenfüllungen im mediterranen Jura. Palaeontographica 136:121–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Zarcone G, Di Stefano P (2010) La piattaforma carbonatica Panormide: un caso anomalo nell’evoluzione dei bacini della tedide giurassica. Ita J Geosci 129(2):188–194

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Prof. Pietro Di Stefano for the generous support in field mapping, sampling and discussions, useful for the construction of the manuscript. Prof. Andrea Mindszenty (Budapest) for helpful discussions about dissolution processes and the resulted morphologies. Thanks to the anonymous reviewers for the constructive comments that helped to improve the manuscript.

Funding

This study was supported by the Research Funds of the University of Palermo (R4D14-P5F5RISS_MARGINE).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 22, 90123, Palermo, Italy

    Simona Todaro

Authors
  1. Simona Todaro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Simona Todaro.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Todaro, S. The Potential Geosite of the “Libeccio Antico” Quarries: a Sedimentological and Stratigraphic Characterisation of Ornamental Stone from Mt Cocuccio, Custonaci Marble District, Sicily. Geoheritage 11, 809–820 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-018-0337-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-018-0337-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation