The puzzle around Ferdinandea

DMZ – AA ¦ At the end of June 1831 the earth quaked about 50 kilometers off the coast of Sicily, between the island of Pantelleria and the city of Sciacca, so violently that even the ships in the port of Sciacca were damaged. A few days after this initial quake, local fishermen noticed an unusual sulfur smell in the air above the sea. On July 13 a huge column of smoke was visible over the waters from the Sicilian mainland. The captain of the Mal…