On July 31st, the Palazzo della Cultura in Catania will host the presentation of the volume and photographic exhibition dedicated to the Sicilian volcanologist, concluding the exhibition journey started in 2025 in Palagonia, his hometown.
On Friday 31 July, starting at 18.00 pm, the volume will be presented at the Palazzo della Cultura of the Municipality of Catania Gaetano Ponte (1876-1955). Sicilian scientist and photographer. dedicated to the illustrious volcanologist of the University of Catania on the 150th anniversary of his birth in Palagonia (CT).
The event is organized by the Department of Volcanoes of theIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) in collaboration with the Comune di Catania e il Ministry of Civil Protection and Maritime Policies.
The presentation of the volume will see institutional greetings from the Mayor of Catania, Henry Trantino, of the Mayor of Palagonia, Salvo Astuti, of the President of INGV, Fabio Florindo and of the Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, In the Musumeci. The interventions of the curators of the volume will follow Stephen Branca, Director of the Volcanoes Department of the INGV, and Daniele Musumeci of the University of Catania. During the event, the related photography exhibition will be presented, also sponsored by the Municipality of Palagonia and the Tuscan Photographic Archive of Prato. The exhibition, which began on December 6, 2025, at the Municipality of Palagonia, subsequently traveled to Trecastagni, where a selection of photographs was exhibited from June 26 to 28 as part of the fourth edition of the Vulcani Festival.
The exhibition, which features fifty photographs by the scientist, aims to showcase the value of his scientific and human perspective throughout his long career. As an expert amateur photographer, Ponte documented not only eruptions and volcanoes, but also the people and places of his time. The selected photographs reconstruct a fascinating journey through the historical events of the first half of the twentieth century, a period marked by profound contrasts, two world wars, and rapid scientific, technological, and cultural development. A visual narrative in which art and science blend seamlessly.
The images on display come from the Gaetano Ponte Collection of the Tuscan Photographic Archive of Prato (AFT).The collection comprises 2897 items, including glass and film negatives, slides, prints, period postcards, and miscellaneous materials, including aristotypes, autochromes, and large-format plates (30x40 cm).
Through a collaboration started in 2008 between the INGV and the AFT, the material has been subject to three interventions of conservation, digitization and cataloguing, and has given rise to an online catalogue created in accordance with ministerial regulations (ICCD). It represents a database of great value and a unique heritage for the historical documentation of active Italian volcanoes. A significant section is dedicated to Mount Etna, with images that document in detail lateral eruptions, explosive activity, and morphological changes to the summit craters in the first half of the 20th century. These are complemented by numerous personal photographs that demonstrate the author's diverse cultural interests and photographic talent.
The exhibition will be open until September 30, 2026, in the Parlatorio Hall of the Palazzo della Cultura. Admission is free. Opening hours: 09:00 AM - 13:00 PM and 15:00 PM - 19:00 PM.
Links
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
Ministry of Civil Protection and Maritime Policies
Comune di Catania
Municipality of Palagonia
Tuscan Photographic Archive (AFT)
