Marcello Carapezza, scientist and humanist

Abstract

This volume of Miscellanea INGV is dedicated to the memory of Professor Marcello Carapezza (1925– 1987), geochemist and volcanologist at the University of Palermo, on the centenary of his birth. Most of the contributions collected here were presented during the 10th edition of the X Villaggio Letterario conference, held in honour of Professor Carapezza, which took place in Ustica in August 2024. These articles highlight the many talents of Carapezza: an innovative scientist, founder of a modern school of Geochemistry applied to the monitoring of active volcanoes, environmental protection, and the study of cultural heritage; but also a humanist, promoter of cultural initiatives, and a refined science communicator through the media. These are all qualities that have left a deep mark on the academic world, where Professor Carapezza’s students further disseminated and developed his teachings, and on the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), which took on much of his scientific legacy, transforming the Institute of Fluid Geochemistry he founded into today’s INGV Palermo Section.
In addition to the contributions of various authors, I considered it appropriate to include in Appendix of this volume four popular scientific articles written by Professor Carapezza between the 1970s and1980s, as a testament to the clarity of his scientific communication and the continued relevance of the topics he addressed.
As editor of this volume, I wish first and foremost to thank INGV for agreeing to publish a special issue of Miscellanea in honour of Professor Carapezza; architect Anna Russolillo, founder and president of Villaggio Letterario, who dedicated the 10th edition of the Ustica conference to his memory; the authors of the contributions hereby collected for their willingness to transform their oral presentations into written texts; Professor Valerio Agnesi, emeritus of Geomorphology at the University of Palermo, for chairing the conference held in Ustica; the family of Professor Carapezza for their constant support throughout the course of my biographical research; the president of the Guttuso Archives, Tiziana Carapezza Guttuso, for her valuable collaboration.
A special mention, filled with gratitude, goes to the staff of Miscellanea INGV—Milena Moretti, Patrizia Pantani, and Francesca Di Stefano—who oversaw the preparation of this volume with competence and dedication.