Major discoveries in sedimentary geology in the mediterranean realm from a historical perspective to new developments

The general theme of the 32nd International Geological Congress, held in Florence, Italy from 20 to 28 August 2004, was ‘From the Mediterranean toward a Global Renaissance’. Florence, where the Renaissance began in the 14th Century and continued through to the 17th Century, is a city with a long tradition for artistic and cultural accomplishments. The city also is recognized for outstanding advancements in science, such as major historical developments in the fields of stratigraphy, sedimentology and palaeontology. In recognition of the achievements stemming from this intellectual environment, the guest editors of this Special Issue of the journal Sedimentology proposed to organize a symposium to highlight the unique contributions of Italy, in particular, and the Mediterranean area, in general, to the evolution of the aforementioned fields of Earth Sciences.