The Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) is a major event in the geological history of the Mediterranean, characterized by the deposition of thick evaporites and the formation of a large 'Lago Mare' basin. This crisis is believed to have occurred around 5.96 million years ago, with isolation from the Atlantic Ocean beginning between 5.59 and 5.33 million years ago. The MSC is defined as the interval of evaporite deposition and Lago Mare sedimentation in the Mediterranean before the Pliocene flooding 5.33 million years ago. The crisis is thought to have been caused by a combination of tectonic and glacio-eustatic processes, with a dominant tectonic origin. The timing of the crisis may have been influenced by the 400-kyr component of the Earth's eccentricity cycle. The MSC is marked by a transition from open marine environments to evaporite deposition, followed by the formation of a non-marine, deep Mediterranean basin. The timing and duration of the MSC have been a subject of debate, with various hypotheses suggesting synchronous, two-step, or diachronous events. The causes of the isolation of the Mediterranean are also debated, with two main explanations: a large glacio-eustatic sea-level drop or orogenic uplift accompanied by gravity-driven sliding of large nappe complexes in the Gibraltar arc. The study presents an astronomically calibrated chronology for the Mediterranean Messinian age, based on high-resolution stratigraphy and the tuning of sedimentary cycle patterns to variations in the Earth's orbital parameters. This chronology shows that the onset of the MSC is synchronous across the entire Mediterranean basin, dated at 5.96 ± 0.02 million years ago. The isolation from the Atlantic Ocean was established between 5.59 and 5.33 million years ago, leading to a significant drop in Mediterranean water level and the deposition of non-marine sediments in the Lago Mare basin. The study also confirms the astronomical calibration of the Messinian timescale, showing that the MSC is a perfectly synchronous event over the entire Mediterranean. The results indicate that the MSC was primarily driven by tectonic processes, with the timing influenced by the Earth's orbital cycles. The study provides a detailed understanding of the MSC, including the timing of the transition to evaporite deposition, the duration of the crisis, and the environmental changes that occurred during this period. The findings have important implications for understanding the geological history of the Mediterranean and the factors that contributed to the MSC.The Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) is a major event in the geological history of the Mediterranean, characterized by the deposition of thick evaporites and the formation of a large 'Lago Mare' basin. This crisis is believed to have occurred around 5.96 million years ago, with isolation from the Atlantic Ocean beginning between 5.59 and 5.33 million years ago. The MSC is defined as the interval of evaporite deposition and Lago Mare sedimentation in the Mediterranean before the Pliocene flooding 5.33 million years ago. The crisis is thought to have been caused by a combination of tectonic and glacio-eustatic processes, with a dominant tectonic origin. The timing of the crisis may have been influenced by the 400-kyr component of the Earth's eccentricity cycle. The MSC is marked by a transition from open marine environments to evaporite deposition, followed by the formation of a non-marine, deep Mediterranean basin. The timing and duration of the MSC have been a subject of debate, with various hypotheses suggesting synchronous, two-step, or diachronous events. The causes of the isolation of the Mediterranean are also debated, with two main explanations: a large glacio-eustatic sea-level drop or orogenic uplift accompanied by gravity-driven sliding of large nappe complexes in the Gibraltar arc. The study presents an astronomically calibrated chronology for the Mediterranean Messinian age, based on high-resolution stratigraphy and the tuning of sedimentary cycle patterns to variations in the Earth's orbital parameters. This chronology shows that the onset of the MSC is synchronous across the entire Mediterranean basin, dated at 5.96 ± 0.02 million years ago. The isolation from the Atlantic Ocean was established between 5.59 and 5.33 million years ago, leading to a significant drop in Mediterranean water level and the deposition of non-marine sediments in the Lago Mare basin. The study also confirms the astronomical calibration of the Messinian timescale, showing that the MSC is a perfectly synchronous event over the entire Mediterranean. The results indicate that the MSC was primarily driven by tectonic processes, with the timing influenced by the Earth's orbital cycles. The study provides a detailed understanding of the MSC, including the timing of the transition to evaporite deposition, the duration of the crisis, and the environmental changes that occurred during this period. The findings have important implications for understanding the geological history of the Mediterranean and the factors that contributed to the MSC.