From Alpine syn-orogenic deformation to late-orogenic clockwise rotations in the Calabria-Peloritani Arc: a geological journay from Alì to Taormina-Mongiuffi-Roccafiorita (Sicily, Southern Italy).

The present geological field book is edited on occasion of the XXIII Reunión de la Comisión de Tectónica de la Sociedad Geológica de España (June 23rd-26th 2011) held in the province of Messina (NE Sicily, southern Italy). This field book accompanies a trip in the Internal Units of the Peloritani Mountains of the Calabria-Peloritani Arc (NE Sicily). The field trip is divided in two itineraries in the region extending on the Ionian side (from Alì to Taormina), as key sites for understanding the Alpine tectonics of this sector of the chain. The itinerary of the first day focuses mainly on the thrust stack of units affected by latest Oligocene-earliest Aquitanian Alpine metamorphism. They are the intermediate nappe (Alì-Montagnareale Unit) and the middle-upper nappes (Aspromonte and Mandanici-Piraino Units). In the Alì-Montagnareale Unit, great attention is devoted to examining the striking syn-metamorphic structures recorded during the latest Oligocene-earliest Aquitanian syn-orogenic compression and extension. Finally, the main features of the Aquitanian-early Burdigalian late metamorphic thrusts of the Aspromonte Unit and Mandanici-Piraino Units are observed. The second day‘s itinerary is dedicated to the lowermost nappes (Longi-Taormina and Fondachelli Units) of the southern edge of the Peloritani Mountains. The topics are the understanding of the Aquitanian-early Burdigalian post-metamorphic tectonic setting of these nappes, and of the Serravallian late-orogenic rotations responsible for ―Z-shaped‖ geometry (in plan view) of thrusts and structures. Finally, an interpretation of the complex tectonic evolution of the chain from the late Oligocene onwards is discussed, based on previous research as well as on unpublished data of the authors.