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The Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark area is located in the central zone of Sicily Region and falls into the central southern belt of the Province of Enna. The Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark is located on a gypsum-sulphur plateau with sandstone peaks. The UNESCO Global Geopark is characterized by its geological diversity. Geologically the area covers central part of Sicilian foredeep between the Appennine chain and the Iblean foreland. In its northern area the thrust belt within the southern branch of the Erei Mountains, was formed by the collision of the African and European tectonic plates. The northern area presents deposits with beautiful sandstone formations. This on-going tectonic impact will ultimately lead to the closure of the Mediterranean Sea. The area is significant for its gypsum and sulphur deposits which were laid down during the Messinian Salinity Crisis between 5.96/5.33 million years ago. Abandoned sulphur mines and the history of sulphur extraction can be seen in the Floristella-Grottacalda Mining Park, one of the most significant sites for industrial archaeology in southern Italy. This crisis occurred due to the desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea when the Straits of Gibraltar closed. The crisis ended with the return of the sea and the deposition of "shallow marine" deposits. Here emerged diffusely the most powerful and extended sequences of evaporitic rocks of Messinian age of the entire mediterranean basin.