The relevance of Luigi Ferdinando Marsili to the history of geology is related to his publications, to the design and foundation of the Academy of Science of Bologna, and to his unpublished Trattato de' monti (Treatise on the Mountains). Additionally, his name is well known among scholars of antiquities because he assembled during his life a rich collection of archaeological findings that today forms an important part of the Civic Museum of Bologna.

Beyond his achievements in many different fields, from the earth sciences to antiquities studies, one of the most original aspects of Marsili's work lies in...