The University of Catania proudly hosted this international event of high scientific importance, welcomed by the Rector, Prof. Francesco Priolo. The 23rd edition of the DRT conference, held in Catania in the splendid setting of the Benedictine Monastery (UNESCO geo-heritage site), an architectural jewel of the Sicilian Baroque, was attended by some 130 scholars from over twenty different countries, most of them in person. It was a fruitful opportunity to exchange and compare ideas, approaches and scientific innovations in the field of rock rheology, tectonics and deformation.