Study of Ferdinandea volcano, 1831, historical artwork. The volcano is seen from above (top) and from the sides (centre and bottom). This volcano is in the Mediterranean Sea, around 30 kilometres off the coast of the Italian island of Sicily. It is part of the underwater volcanic complex of Empedocles. The peak of Ferdinandea is usually a few metres below the surface of the sea, Several times over the past 2000 years it has erupted and added new material to itself, emerging from the sea. This eruption in July 1831 was one of the most recent, and led to a territorial dispute between Sicily, France and England, until January 1832 when the island had been eroded away. Artwork by geologist Carlo Gemmellaro (1787-1866).