From Geohistory to the Future: A Tribute to the Youthful Palaeontological Studies at Gravina in Puglia of Arcangelo Scacchi (1810–1893), the First Modern Geoscientist in the MurGEopark (aUGGp, Southern Italy)

Abstract

Arcangelo Scacchi (1810–1893) one of the greatest Italian geoscientists known worldwide, especially for his contributions in the fields of mineralogy and volcanology, dedicated his early years to malacological and zoological works. This paper aims to pay homage to a lesser-known side of the scientist, focusing on a malacological work related to fossils from his hometown, Gravina, in Puglia (southern Italy), located within the boundaries of the MurGEopark, which is aspiring to become a UNESCO Global Geopark (aUGGp), and at the border of Parco Nazionale dell’Alta Murgia (Alta Murgia National Park). Among others, Arcangelo Scacchi described 16 new species of molluscs but his precious collection, hosted in Naples, in the Real Museo Mineralogico (Royal Mineralogical Museum), now Museo di Paleontologia dell’Università di Napoli Federico II (Museum of Palaeontology of the University of Naples Federico II), was partly lost. In recent years, research has allowed the resampling of some species he described for the first time in 1835. Starting from this material, the figure of Scacchi was highlighted to the public through the temporal exhibitions and the use of 3D digital models of these resampled fossils. This activity represents: (i) a tribute to the first modern geoscientist who worked in the area of the MurGEopark, (ii) an instrument to preserve palaeontological remains of international importance, and (iii) a public opportunity to know this kind of geocultural heritage enriching the potential examples of (geo)dissemination in the MurGEopark.

1. Introduction

This work represents both a tribute to the youthful palaeontological studies of Arcangelo Scacchi, who can be considered one of the world’s greatest geologists of the 19th century, and a contribution/example of how to spread geological knowledge both in traditional and modern ways. Arcangelo Scacchi (Figure 1) was a polyhedric Italian scientist whose interests ranged across various research fields such as zoology, palaeontology, chemistry, volcanology, mineralogy, and crystallography. This paper deals with his youthful malacological/palaeontological activity on fossils collected in the surroundings of his hometown (Gravina in Puglia, southern Italy) (Figure 2a). Since part of the original collection, also containing some holotypes, was lost, and since their formal description made by Scacchi is still valid, in recent years some of these fossils have been recollected in the original area. They represented a small temporary exhibition realized in his hometown during the ninth Earth Planet Week (3–10 October 2021) and could represent the embryo for a disseminative/scientific exhibition to be hosted in his hometown, as was desired by the famous geoscientist. This is also an attempt at the virtual geoconservation of (partly lost) rare type material of great scientific importance. The recent resampling of this kind of material led to the digitisation, still in progress, of the same fossils studied by Scacchi almost 200 years ago and coming from the same area originally sampled by him. The hope is the creation of a hybrid museum (both digital and classical) that could be visible and accessible to a wide and heterogeneous public and that could serve as a fulcrum for the didactics in the MurGEopark, an aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark (aUGGp) [1,2,3] also favouring promotion and cultural exchange with other geoparks in the network.

Figure 1. Monument erected in memory of A. Scacchi, located in the Scacchi square of Gravina in Puglia town (southern Italy). An elementary school and a square in the city were named after him, while his precious diary and his letters are preserved in the archive of the E. Pomarici Santomasi Foundation. Thanks to the half-bust in his hometown, A. Scacchi continues to inspect rock samples.

Figure 1. Monument erected in memory of A. Scacchi, located in the Scacchi square of Gravina in Puglia town (southern Italy). An elementary school and a square in the city were named after him, while his precious diary and his letters are preserved in the archive of the E. Pomarici Santomasi Foundation. Thanks to the half-bust in his hometown, A. Scacchi continues to inspect rock samples.

Figure 2. (a) Location of the town of Gravina in Puglia along the Italian peninsula. Geographic coordinates in the WGS84 system. Base image by Google Earth. (b) Simplified geological scheme of Italy ([4], mod.) with location of (c) (dotted line). (c) Simplified geological map of southern Italy ([5], mod.) with location of the MurGEopark and the trace of the geological section represented below. (d) Cross-section showing relationships between Alta Murgia and Premurge in the MurGEopark ([5], mod.). Figures (b–d) after [2], mod.

Figure 2. (a) Location of the town of Gravina in Puglia along the Italian peninsula. Geographic coordinates in the WGS84 system. Base image by Google Earth. (b) Simplified geological scheme of Italy ([4], mod.) with location of (c) (dotted line). (c) Simplified geological map of southern Italy ([5], mod.) with location of the MurGEopark and the trace of the geological section represented below. (d) Cross-section showing relationships between Alta Murgia and Premurge in the MurGEopark ([5], mod.). Figures (b–d) after [2], mod.

2. The MurGEopark: The Geological Reason for the aUGGp Nomination

At the beginning of September 2024, the MurGEopark, a large area of Puglia (southern Italy) (Figure 2b), was officially endorsed to be one of the potential UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp) [3]. This area comprises the northwestern part of the Murge territory, roughly corresponding to the Alta Murgia National Park (Figure 2c) and where a Cretaceous sector of a wide peri-Tethys carbonate platform (the Apulia Carbonate Platform) crops out, and part of the adjacent Premurge territory (Figure 2c), where the southwestward lateral continuation of the same platform (flexed toward the southern Apennines Chain) is covered by thin Plio-Quaternary foredeep deposits (Figure 2d). According to [3] (i.e., to the geological report for the application to be an aspiring UGGp), “The worldwide geological uniqueness of the MurGEopark is that the area is the only in situ remnant of the Adria Plate, the old continental plate almost entirely squeezed between the Africa and Eurasia Plates”. Therefore, the MurGEopark, in order to ignite people’s imagination, was defined in the report as “the last piece of Adria, the (almost) lost continent” [2].

3. Geological Setting of Gravina in Puglia and Its Surroundings

Gravina in Puglia is a lively small town in southern Italy, known for its ancient development as a rupestrian town along the flank of a small canyon, locally called “gravina”, from which the name of the town derives (Figure 3).

Geologically speaking, Gravina in Puglia is located at the southwestern border of the Alta Murgia, a karst territory belonging to the wider Murge area [4] (Figure 2c). The Murge area is characterised by the outcrop of well-stratified and intensely fractured Cretaceous limestones (the Calcari delle Murge Group) (Figure 4 and Figure 5). An approximately 200 m high scarp, corresponding to a receded WNW-ESE striking normal fault, bounds toward W-SW the Murge area from the Premurge one [6,7,8,9] (Figure 4).

The Premurge, literally meaning “before Murge”, is an area located lower than the Murge (Figure 4) and is characterised by a shallow marine succession, no more than 150–200 m thick, lying on the same Cretaceous rocks of the Murge and thinning toward the scarp [1] (Figure 2d, Figure 4 and Figure 5). Both the Murge and the Premurge were part of the same region when the latter, until the end of the Cretaceous (about 65.5 million years ago), was a large intertropical carbonate platform (the Apulia Platform) [10]. To explain the present-day landscape features of the area, a brief geological history could start at the end of the Cretaceous, when the Apulia Platform became an exposed region mainly subjected to karst processes [4]. Much later, during late Messinian (about 6 million years ago), due to the eastward migration of the Apennines orogeny, the western sector of the old Apulia Platform began to flex and was again flooded by the sea [11].

During the late Pliocene (about 3 million years ago) the flexure reached the area corresponding to the present-day Premurge [12,13]; as a consequence, this area, part of the Apennines foredeep (i.e., the Bradanic Trough), was filled by shallow marine deposits [14]. Towards the Murge Alte scarp, like at Gravina in Puglia and surroundings, this succession is very thin and basically characterised, from bottom to top, by coastal bioclastic carbonates (Calcarenite di Gravina Fm), passing to silty–clayey shelfal hemipelagites (Argille subappennine Fm), and finally to coastal/alluvial sandy and gravelly deposits (Monte San Marco Fm) [14,15,16,17] (Figure 4 and Figure 5). A severe regional uplift, active since the end of the early Pleistocene (from about 1 million years ago) [18,19], led the drainage network to cut both Murge and Premurge areas and, in the latter region, dissect both the Pleistocene succession and the Cretaceous bedrock (Calcari delle Murge Group) (Figure 5). Thanks to these processes, lower Pleistocene shallow-marine deposits are diffusely exposed in the surroundings of Gravina in Puglia (Figure 3 and Figure 4) and their fossil content could and can be easily sampled.

Figure 5. (a) Geological cross-section of the Murge (Apulia Foreland) and Premurge (Bradanic Trough), showing the relationships between Cretaceous and Quaternary deposits. Compare with Figure 2d. (b) Geological cross-section showing (inset) the virtual position of the outcrop of (c) and leading to appreciation of the foredeep sedimentary wedge pinching out the foreland. (c) Photo from the panoramic point in the vicinity of the stadium parking lot of Gravina in Puglia town. Note the relationships between the faulted Cretaceous bedrock and the Quaternary foredeep succession. Compare with the geological section in Figure 4. From [2,20,21], mod.

Figure 5. (a) Geological cross-section of the Murge (Apulia Foreland) and Premurge (Bradanic Trough), showing the relationships between Cretaceous and Quaternary deposits. Compare with Figure 2d. (b) Geological cross-section showing (inset) the virtual position of the outcrop of (c) and leading to appreciation of the foredeep sedimentary wedge pinching out the foreland. (c) Photo from the panoramic point in the vicinity of the stadium parking lot of Gravina in Puglia town. Note the relationships between the faulted Cretaceous bedrock and the Quaternary foredeep succession. Compare with the geological section in Figure 4. From [2,20,21], mod.

4. Arcangelo Scacchi: Life and Scientific Works of the First Modern Geoscientist of the MurGEopark

4.1. A Brief Biography

Arcangelo Scacchi, born in Gravina in Puglia (Bari) on 8 February 1810, is internationally considered one of the most eminent geologists of his time. Before proposing a short biography of Arcangelo Scacchi, it is important to highlight that he began his long scientific career with work dedicated to invertebrate fossils found and studied near his hometown. In his work, however, in addition to fossilised molluscs, bryozoans, and corals, Scacchi also minutely described the geology of the area, accurately recognising the main outcropping units. Since this work can be considered the first detailed and still valid geoscientific report in the area, Arcangelo Scacchi deserves to be considered the first modern geoscientist of the MurGEopark.

Scacchi began his studies in literature in Bari, a larger town with respect to Gravina in Puglia, which is about 60 km away, before moving to Naples in 1827, where he undertook medical studies that he completed in 1831. During this period, he started to follow zoology and botany courses at the university held by Luigi Petagna (1779–1832) and by Michele Tenore (1780–1861) [22,23]. In 1830, he began to follow the lessons of mineralogy and geology by Matteo Tondi (1762–1835), chairholder and director of the Real Museo Mineralogico [Royal Mineralogical Museum], who encouraged him to deepen his mineralogy studies. During this period, he began to carry out his first geological excursions, such as those on Vesuvio and Campi Flegrei volcanic areas, on behalf of the Accademia Reale delle Scienze [Royal Academy of Sciences), in Naples [23]. In 1844, Scacchi obtained the chair of mineralogy at the Naples University, which he held until 1891, and the direction of the Royal Mineralogical Museum. As director of the Mineralogical Museum, he continued the work initiated by Tondi of enriching the mineralogical species and organising the Vesuvian collection. The Museum, under the direction of Scacchi, reached its prime glory and increased the importance of his collections, especially the Vesuvian one, until then non-existent [23]. In 1846, he began to organise his famous crystallographic collection, which can still be admired today in the halls of the Royal Mineralogical Museum. The collection of artificial crystals is of great value, boasting recognition by the international scientific community. It was obtained in two universal exhibitions, in 1862 in London and in 1867 in Paris [23]. The Royal Mineralogical Museum, at the time the richest in Italy, was a source of pride for the Bourbon government and a place where illustrious guests were brought to visit; the inauguration of the VII Congress of Scientists in Naples was also held in this salon in 1845 [24]. Scacchi, with the unification of Italy, was appointed senator of the kingdom in 1861, and in 1872 he obtained the honour of Croce di Cavaliere dell’Ordine del Merito Civile di Savoia [Knight’s Cross of the Order of Civil Merit of Savoy] [22]. Scacchi joined, in 1863, the Società Italiana delle Scienze [Italian Society of Sciences] and two years later he became the Rector of the University of Naples. In 1875, he was appointed President of the Società Italiana delle Scienze and was re-elected as rector [23]. Scacchi was also involved by Sella (a famous mineralogist and one of the founders of the Italian Geological Society) in various projects. As Italian finance minister, Sella involved Scacchi in numerous initiatives. The most ambitious project was to provide a 1:100.000 geological map of the entire national territory [25]. Arcangelo Scacchi was undoubtedly the most esteemed Italian scientist of his time and a point of reference in mineralogy throughout Europe [23,25]. He wrote more than one hundred scientific papers (the first carries the date of 1832 while the last is dated 1890) and many of his works were translated by great scientists and published abroad [23]. Arcangelo Scacchi died in Naples, at the age of 83, on 11 October 1893.

4.2. A Polyhedric Scientist and a Reference Point for the Geologists of the XIX Century

Although his early studies were focused on zoology, palaeontology (especially fossil malacology), and geology, Arcangelo Scacchi is well-known worldwide for his scientific contribution to the fields of mineralogy and volcanology, being the first Italian mineralogist to affirm his work in the international arena. He also had the honour of having a mineral dedicated to his name (scacchite) by Gilbert Joseph Adam in 1869 [23]. According to [22], Arcangelo Scacchi discovered 20 new minerals in the Somma-Vesuvio area, but more recently [25] wrote about 30 new mineral species, 16 of which are still valid. As a volcanologist, Arcangelo Scacchi mainly studied the Campi Flegrei area and the Somma-Vesuvio volcano. He also wrote with Luigi Palmieri (a physicist, volcanologist, and philosopher) a work [26]. In this work, Scacchi carried out the geological and mineralogical-petrographic study allowing both the Authors to exclude: (i) that the earthquake was a precursor of a new eruption of the Vulture Volcano [22]; and (ii) Christian Leopold von Buch’s uplift crater theory about volcanoes’ development. Thanks to his studies, Arcangelo Scacchi had a great influence on the scientific community of the 19th century, as proven by the numerous correspondences held with other scientists (geologists), including Edward Suess (a famous Austrian geologist who first introduced the concept of Gondwana), Charles Lyell (a Scottish geologist who wrote “Principles of Geology”, a text that laid the foundations for modern geology), Giovanni Capellini (a geologist and one of the founders of Società Geologica Italiana—Italian Geological Society), Leonard Horner (a geologist and president of Royal Geological Society), and James Dwight Dana (an American geologist and zoologist), among many others [24]. Arcangelo Scacchi was also involved in scientific field trips in the surroundings of Naples, accompanying several scientists in their expeditions including the chemist Friedrich Wöhler who visited Vesuvius in 1847; Eilhard Mitscherlich, Gustav Rose, and Justus Roth to Solfatara, Monte Nuovo and Vesuvio in 1850; and Charles Lyell in 1857 [24]. Furthermore, Scacchi provided valuable assistance to Lyell, supplying him over the years with observations and measurements of the Campi Flegrei area and in particular of the Temple of Serapis in Pozzuoli.

4.3. The Youthful Palaeontological Studies in Gravina in Puglia: A Still Valid Scientific Work

Zoology, palaeontology, and malacology were the youthful passions of Arcangelo Scacchi to which he devoted himself in the initial phase of his career. He realised several malacological works and established 71 new nominal taxa (6 genus names and 65 species, both fossils and living), 18 of which are still valid [27]. He also came into contact with the most important malacologists of the time, in particular Rudolf Amandus Philippi (1808–1904), knowing him personally and maintaining a continuous correspondence with him, with the exchange of material and information [28]. Philippi celebrated Arcangelo Scacchi by naming a genus of bivalve in his honour, i.e., the genus Scacchia. The youth palaeontological studies of Arcangelo Scacchi in Gravina in Puglia [29,30] were published in a scientific journal of that time, in which many fossils collected in a small area in the surroundings of Gravina in Puglia, precisely in the Contrada Albanello locality, were reported [29,30].

Arcangelo Scacchi introduced his research, the first modern and still valid geoscientific work in the area, giving the first geological description of the geology of the Gravina in Puglia area, where he distinguished four lithological units:

“…. e mettondoci ad esaminare…ci accorgeremo che quattro ben distinte formazioni sono come in un sol punto riunite”:

(1) 

“… la più antica di esse, ossia l’inferiore è di calce carbonata compatta a finissima grana…Essa è la stessa calce carbonata di cui son formate le Murge…”,

(2) 

“… la seconda formazione è di tufo composto di minuti pezzetti di conchiglie zoofiti ed echini…”,

(3) 

la terza è composta da “… sabbia e ciotoli di diaspro…”,

(4) 

la quarta ed ultima formazione è costituita da argilla figulina detta volgarmente creta…”.

[“… and upon examining it…we will realise that four clearly distinct formations are united as if in a single point (literal translation, probably meaning: ‘may be observed together in a single locality’).”

(1) 

“The oldest of these, namely the lower one, consists of very fine-grained hard calcareous lime… It is the same calcareous lime that forms the Murge”.

(2) 

“The second formation is made of tufa composed of thin fragments of zoophyte shells and sea urchins”.

(3) 

“The third is composed of sand and pebbles of jasper” (probably meaning chert pebbles).

(4) 

“The fourth and final formation is made up of clay for terracotta pots, commonly known as ‘creta’…”]

Arcangelo Scacchi was referring to some of the well-known formations/groups of the area (for the formal stratigraphy in the area, see: [14,15,17]) (Figure 6): (1) the “calce carbonata compatta a finissima grana” corresponds to the Cretaceous limestone of the Calcari delle Murge Group, locally comprising the Calcare di Altamura Formation; (2) the “tufo” corresponds to the upper Pliocene-lower Pleistocene bioclastic grainstone/packstone of the Calcarenite di Gravina Formation; (3) the “argilla figulina” corresponds to the lower Pleistocene clay of the Argille subappennine Formation; (4) the “sabbia e ciotoli di diaspro” corresponds to the lower Pleistocene sands and gravels of the Monte San Marco Formation.

Figure 6. Panoramic point near the bridge of Gravina in Puglia. The natural section along the canyon (the “gravina”) exposes the stratigraphy of the area. The legend reports the original descriptions of geological units made by Scacchi [29,30]. Note that, in the original work, the stratigraphic order of clay (Argille subappennine Formation in Figure 5) and sand and pebbles (Monte San Marco Formation in Figure 5) was described in a reversed order. The white dashes mark the boundaries between the geological formations; the blue dashes highlight the attitude of the limestones (Calcare di Altamura Fm). The anthropic rupestrian life developed in unit 2 (Calcarenite di Gravina Fm). Photo by D. Belfiore [31], mod.

Figure 6. Panoramic point near the bridge of Gravina in Puglia. The natural section along the canyon (the “gravina”) exposes the stratigraphy of the area. The legend reports the original descriptions of geological units made by Scacchi [29,30]. Note that, in the original work, the stratigraphic order of clay (Argille subappennine Formation in Figure 5) and sand and pebbles (Monte San Marco Formation in Figure 5) was described in a reversed order. The white dashes mark the boundaries between the geological formations; the blue dashes highlight the attitude of the limestones (Calcare di Altamura Fm). The anthropic rupestrian life developed in unit 2 (Calcarenite di Gravina Fm). Photo by D. Belfiore [31], mod.

After this general description of the geology of the area, Scacchi reported in his works about 170 species, mostly molluscs plus some species of “zoophytes”, which, at that time, was the name given to corals and bryozoans (Figure 7 and Figure 8).

Among the species collected, 16 were described as new. The names of those species are therefore still associated today with Arcangelo Scacchi and Gravina in Puglia. Currently, only nine of these species still have Scacchi’s authorship, while the remaining turned out to be species already described before 1835 [27]. The fossil fauna was referred by Arcangelo Scacchi to the Pliocene, according to the knowledge of the time, but its age must be now referred to the early Pleistocene, more specifically to the Calabrian stage [32]. In the following years, he published other malacological works, among which we note [33] and [34].

Figure 7. The first plate of [29,30]. From (1–13) are bivalves; from (13–21) are gastropods. The still valid species described by Scacchi are: (2a,2b) Cuspidaria crispata (Scacchi, 1835); (4) Microstagon trigonum (Scacchi, 1835); (7) Abra longicallus (Scacchi, 1835); (12a,12b) Bathyarca pectunculoides (Scacchi, 1835); (15) Tribia coronata (Scacchi, 1835); (19) Aphanitoma imperati (Scacchi, 1835); (20) Turriclavus columnae (Scacchi, 1835). The letters a, b and c indicate different viewing angles or morphological details that the author wanted to emphasise. Drawn by Scacchi (signature on the left) and printed by Fergola (signature on the right).

Figure 7. The first plate of [29,30]. From (1–13) are bivalves; from (13–21) are gastropods. The still valid species described by Scacchi are: (2a,2b) Cuspidaria crispata (Scacchi, 1835); (4) Microstagon trigonum (Scacchi, 1835); (7) Abra longicallus (Scacchi, 1835); (12a,12b) Bathyarca pectunculoides (Scacchi, 1835); (15) Tribia coronata (Scacchi, 1835); (19) Aphanitoma imperati (Scacchi, 1835); (20) Turriclavus columnae (Scacchi, 1835). The letters a, b and c indicate different viewing angles or morphological details that the author wanted to emphasise. Drawn by Scacchi (signature on the left) and printed by Fergola (signature on the right).

Figure 8. The second plate of [29,30]. From (1–5) are gastropods; (6a,6b) is a scaphopod; from (7–12) are bryozoans; from (13–15) are hexacorals. The still valid species described by Scacchi are: (2) Eulimella scillae (Scacchi, 1835); (6a,6b) Polyschides olivi (Scacchi, 1835). The letters a, b and c indicate different viewing angles or morphological details that the author wanted to emphasise. Drawn by Scacchi (signature on the left) and printed by Fergola (signature on the right).

Figure 8. The second plate of [29,30]. From (1–5) are gastropods; (6a,6b) is a scaphopod; from (7–12) are bryozoans; from (13–15) are hexacorals. The still valid species described by Scacchi are: (2) Eulimella scillae (Scacchi, 1835); (6a,6b) Polyschides olivi (Scacchi, 1835). The letters a, b and c indicate different viewing angles or morphological details that the author wanted to emphasise. Drawn by Scacchi (signature on the left) and printed by Fergola (signature on the right).

5. A Temporary Exhibition as a Tribute from His Town to the Scacchi Heritage

In the first part of [29] Scacchi wrote:

“E però avrei desiderato di far noto a’ miei concittadini quanta attenzione essa meriti quella feconda regione dagli studiosi delle naturali scienze, se tutte avessi potuto loro venir mostrando quelle cose che mi si è porto il destro di osservare. Ma richiedendo un tal lavoro miglior agio di quel che mi è dato godere, mi starò contento a toccar solo delle conchiglie e di alcuni zoofiti trovasi fossili nelle vicinanze di Gravina…”.

[“And therefore, I would have liked to let my fellow citizens know how much attention that fertile region deserves from the students of natural sciences, if I had been able to show them everything that I have had the opportunity to observe. However, as such work requires better facilities than I currently have at my disposal, I will be content to discuss only the shells and some of the zoophytes found in the vicinity of Gravina…”].

In this passage, the scientist emphasises the beauty and uniqueness of the area he studied, expressing his desire to show the fossils he collected and studied to his fellow citizens. Currently, Scacchi’s original malacological collection is housed in the Museo Paleontologico dell’Università di Napoli Federico II (Museum of Palaeontology of the University of Naples Federico II); unfortunately, part of the material was lost, and only nine taxa described by Scacchi in Gravina in Puglia are still present [27]. However, the area studied by Scacchi is still rich in marine fossils allowing the resampling of some of the rare species described by Scacchi [32] (Figure 9); some of these fossils are particularly interesting because no original type material is known, and the resampled material could be used to integrate the original collection (Figure 10).

Starting from this new sampling, almost 200 years after the publication of his work and almost 130 years after his death, Scacchi’s desire was finally fulfilled in 2021. The idea was to discover and celebrate the lesser-known side of this scientist in his hometown. This project was proposed and realised by Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e Geoambientali dell’Università di Bari Aldo Moro (Department of Earth and Geoenvironmental Sciences of the Aldo Moro Bari University) and SiMA (Sistema Museale di Ateneo dell’Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro i.e., Museal System of the Aldo Moro Bari University) (Figure 11a) in collaboration with Fondazione Pomarici-Santomasi (Pomarici-Santomasi Foundation) and Parco Nazionale dell’Alta Murgia (Alta Murgia National Park).

Therefore, a temporary exhibition dedicated to the malacological work carried out by Scacchi in Gravina in Puglia was organised on 3–10 October 2021 on the occasion of the ninth edition of the Settimana del Pianeta Terra (Planet Earth Week) [35], a scientific outreach festival with events dedicated to the geosciences that take place throughout the Italian territory to spread geological culture to the people (Figure 11b).

The exhibition consisted of six display cases containing mollusc fossils collected in the locality studied by Scacchi, organised in different themes (Figure 12 and Figure 13), and including three of the species described by Scacchi. Part of the exhibition was enriched by some items that belonged to the scientist that he donated to the Pomarici Santomasi Foundation: medals obtained during his career, his personal magnifying glass, his letter opener, some letters received from distinguished colleagues, and his precious diary.

6. The Importance of Studying and Exposing the Recollected Scacchi Specimens

As already mentioned, some of the type materials of the species described by Scacchi were missing in the original collection hosted in the Museum of Naples Federico II. The recent resampling of this material can be used to establish neotypes of certain species (for now Microstagon trigonum, Polyschides olivi and Bathyarca pectunculoides) that have great scientific value and also represent an important palaeontological heritage that needs to be enhanced and protected. In this regard, ref. [36] proposed a classification of fossil specimens as a guide for decision-making processes in the protection of palaeontological heritage, identifying four different categories divided on the basis of the significance of fossil specimens. In accordance with this proposal, revived by [37], the resampled fossils originally studied by Scacchi belong to Category 1 (the highest one), which includes “…specimens of typological importance for the definition of fossil species as regulated by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (a UNESCO project), including holotypes, lectotypes, neotypes and syntypes”. According to [36], “…scientific method therefore dictates that all fossils falling in the Category 1 must be deposited and protected in nationally recognised scientific and cultural institutions and legal systems should aim to achieve such ends”. In order to favour the geoconservation of the type material, the temporary exhibition illustrated in the previous chapter could be enriched by other fossils coming from the area sampled by Scacchi in 1835. The new collection can be proposed as a permanent exhibition of high importance (Category 1 of [36]) if scientifically supervised and led by experts, becoming the pillar of geoeducation in the area of the MurGEopark.

Moreover, an increasing number of tourists is attracted by this area, most of them coming from the Sassi di Matera, a close locality inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1993. Gravina, in Puglia, and Matera are two towns with similar geological features, well exposed in city tours [38] and they could enrich their attractiveness, offering itineraries comprising urban paths and cultural in-depth sites, like the desired museum (not simply entitled to Scacchi but also dedicated to his precious research works).

7. 3D Digital Models: An Alternative to the Physical Exposition of the Palaeontological Collection of Scacchi and a Modern Tribute to This Illustrious Geoscientist

In recent years, in various scientific and non-scientific fields, the use of 3D models has become increasingly common, and many museums have supplemented physical exhibitions with virtual ones (i.e., Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History—[39], Natural History Museum Vienna—[40], Lapworth Museum of Geology—[41], Cleveland Museum of Natural History—[42], Auckland Museum—[43]) or websites that host virtual exhibitions [44,45]. 3D models can be used for detailed study, archiving, and preservation of delicate specimens, as well as for visualising specimens that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to access [46,47,48,49]. They can also facilitate digital restoration and reconstruction of fossil specimens using 3D creation programs [50]. Moreover, 3D models play a crucial role in dissemination and museology. They enable new forms of user–object interaction, allowing users to interact with objects in three dimensions, rotate them, and visualise morphological features in detail. This increases emotional involvement and encourages active participation from users. Utilising 3D printers, these models can be physically produced, revolutionising studies of ancient life, museum education, and public outreach [51,52,53,54,55]. Additionally, 3D printing enables the creation of galleries, pathways, and educational workshops designed for individuals with disabilities, such as the visually impaired [51,56]. Due to their interactivity and visual appeal, 3D scans are well-suited for dissemination through websites, facilitating the global spread of scientific knowledge.

Various methods can be used to create 3D models; photogrammetry is one of the simplest and most cost-effective (Figure 14).

Figure 14. Basic tools for the acquisition of photos, a preliminary stage in the creation of a 3D model, using the technique of digital photogrammetry. The photographs necessary for the creation of the models were taken using a Sony NEX-7 mirrorless camera with a 24 Mpx APS-C sensor with a Sony 18–55 mm lens, taking on average approximately 150–200 photos in JPEG format. To capture fine details of some shells or for very small specimens, a Sony E 30 mm f/3.5 Macro lens was used. The rest of the equipment necessary for the 3D survey is represented by a stand, a turntable (necessary to rotate the sample precisely), a set of LED lamps, and a lightbox (necessary to spread the light in a homogeneous and optimal manner) [57]. The software used to process, align the photos, and create the 3D models is Zephyr Lite from 3D Flow [58]. Picture from [59].

Figure 14. Basic tools for the acquisition of photos, a preliminary stage in the creation of a 3D model, using the technique of digital photogrammetry. The photographs necessary for the creation of the models were taken using a Sony NEX-7 mirrorless camera with a 24 Mpx APS-C sensor with a Sony 18–55 mm lens, taking on average approximately 150–200 photos in JPEG format. To capture fine details of some shells or for very small specimens, a Sony E 30 mm f/3.5 Macro lens was used. The rest of the equipment necessary for the 3D survey is represented by a stand, a turntable (necessary to rotate the sample precisely), a set of LED lamps, and a lightbox (necessary to spread the light in a homogeneous and optimal manner) [57]. The software used to process, align the photos, and create the 3D models is Zephyr Lite from 3D Flow [58]. Picture from [59].

Photogrammetry is a digitisation technique that involves creating 3D virtual models using a series of photos taken from different viewpoints with a digital camera [46,60,61]. Using this technique, 3D digital models of some fossils coming from the type locality studied by Scacchi have been created [57,59] (Figure 15 and Figure 16) and a free, online, and easily accessible digital archive containing all the 3D models of the fossil molluscs described by Scacchi in his work on Gravina in Puglia is in progress. This will serve two important purposes: firstly, it will help to preserve the models and their associated data and morphological details of the species described by Scacchi, particularly those no longer present in the original collection and which are scientifically significant (providing the opportunity for further in-depth studies, comparisons, and species revisions) (Figure 16), and secondly, it makes these 3D models easily accessible for educational purposes, utilising web platforms to reach a wide audience, thereby contributing to their scientific dissemination and enriching cultural heritage [57,59].

To date, over 40 models of various species have been uploaded to SketchFab, a platform that collects 3D models of all kinds, including numerous 3D models of fossils or entire collections housed in world-renowned museums. A dedicated archive [57] includes 3 models of species described by Scacchi for the first time in Gravina in Puglia.

Figure 15. Various stages of the process of the creation, using photogrammetry, of the 3D digital model of the gastropod Raphitoma columnae (Scacchi, 1835) [29,30,59]. The represented fossil is the number 20 (Figure 7) in the original work of Scacchi.

Figure 15. Various stages of the process of the creation, using photogrammetry, of the 3D digital model of the gastropod Raphitoma columnae (Scacchi, 1835) [29,30,59]. The represented fossil is the number 20 (Figure 7) in the original work of Scacchi.

Figure 16. 3D model of the bivalve Microstagon trigonum (Scacchi, 1835) [29,30,59]. This species was first described by Scacchi in Gravina in Puglia. The type material of this species, originally deposited in the Museum of Palaeontology of the University of Naples Federico II, has been lost.

Figure 16. 3D model of the bivalve Microstagon trigonum (Scacchi, 1835) [29,30,59]. This species was first described by Scacchi in Gravina in Puglia. The type material of this species, originally deposited in the Museum of Palaeontology of the University of Naples Federico II, has been lost.

8. Conclusions

This paper disseminated the work and the skills of Arcangelo Scacchi, a polyhedric scientist, focusing mainly on his youthful geological and malacological works conducted in the surroundings of his hometown (Gravina in Puglia). Thanks to the work of Scacchi, the area is still a milestone for palaeontological research. This is a lesser-known aspect of the scientific activity of Scacchi, a world-renowned scientist who revolutionised the scientific landscape of the 19th century mainly for his mineralogical research.

Starting from the fossils resampled in recent years from the area studied by Arcangelo Scacchi in Gravina in Puglia, a temporary exhibition was proposed in his hometown. Moreover, resampled fossils were digitalised with a modern 3D approach, with the hope of attracting younger generations to the figure of this brilliant scientist. The digitisation of these fossils led to the creation of a digital archive of the fossils described by Arcangelo Scacchi and made the 3D models freely available to a wide audience. This scientific documentation may enrich the approach to cultural geoheritage through web platforms, hoping to contribute to the knowledge of the malacological work of Scacchi, which still remains relatively unknown to the citizenship. The creation of a digital archive will also serve to prevent further loss of rare materials.

Despite the initiatives undertaken to enhance the figure of Scacchi in the city of Gravina in Puglia, there is still much to be done, such as the resampling of those species described by Scacchi lost from the precious original collection. The dream is to create a permanent exhibition, located in Scacchi’s hometown, which, supported with 3D models, can serve as a strong starting point for education and outreach in the MurGEopark.

The use of 3D models and virtual tours was crucial during the pandemic, making it possible to access museums, even if only digitally. In our opinion, the limits of the use of virtual displays and virtual tours are represented by the fact that a physical museum can never be replaced by a virtual display. A museum is not only a physical place, but a place of encounter, discussion, exchange and interaction; technologies, however cutting-edge and realistic they may be, can never replace this.

A good compromise (an objective also pursued by this research) is the creation of a hybrid museum, i.e., one that can have both a physical place and exhibition and a series of virtual contents accessible via the web.