Travels in Italy--Mount Etna (Part 1 of 2)

Our next Sicilian adventure takes us to the highest and largest active volcano in Europe, Mt. Etna, known to the locals as the mamma (mother).   

Mt. Etna:  steam rising from the cone

Mt. Etna is located in eastern Sicily not far from Taormina and the large city of Catania.  Here are some fun facts about Mt. Etna:

• Mt. Etna is an old volcano, about half a million years old.  It started erupted under the sea and eventually became a peak 10,000 feet above sea level.
• Mt. Etna is currently the tallest active volcano in Europe, currently about 10,900 feet, but the height fluctuates with volcanic activity.
• The base of Mt. Etna covers more than 400 square miles. 
• The name Etna might be a Phoenician word for "furnace" or a Greek phrase meaning "I burn".
• Mt. Etna has also been called the "Beautiful Mountain": Mongibello in Sicilian and Montebello in Italian.
• According to Greek myth, the snake-like monster Typhon lives under the mountain put there by Zeus after losing a battle for supremacy of the universe.   
• Mt. Etna was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.

Mt. Etna is considered a very active volcano, with frequent eruptions (most recently in March 2017), lava flows and earthquakes, which is a problem for the nearby inhabitants, especially those who live in the many towns on the lower slopes of Mt. Etna.  Fortunately, the recent volcanic activity has not been deadly.  However, the volcano has the potential to erupt explosively like Mt. Vesuvius did in 79 A.D.  Let's hope that never happens. 

Because of the many lava flows and plumes of ash, the soil around Mt. Etna is very fertile, with vineyards, orchards and other crops farmed on the lower slopes and the valley below.  We can confirm the local wine is especially good.

Our visit to Mt. Etna took us through towns on the lower slopes, then up a road that wound through lava fields and finally to inactive craters not far from the summit.  While visiting the Silvestri Craters on the southern slope of Mt. Etna, we took some photographs.  The landscape reminded us of the volcanic areas in Iceland and of photos of the moon's surface.  We were in another world.

The Silvestri Craters were formed during an 1892 eruption.  They are located at 6,500 feet above sea level. 

One of the Silvestri Craters

Small craters near the Silvestri craters

A lava field below the Silvestri Craters.  The reddish rock has iron content that has oxidized (rusted) after exposure to the elements. 

A view of Mt. Etna's summit from the Silvestri Craters

While visiting Mt. Etna, we spotted something we did not expect to see.  Check out the next photo.

Did you notice the small creature?  A lady bug. 

Apparently, Ladybugs migrate north to Europe in Spring and south to Africa in Autumn.  While migrating to Sicily, some of the Ladybugs are carried by winds up the slopes of Mt. Etna.  Since we visited Mt. Etna on a windy day during late Spring, we saw many Ladybugs crawling around. Who knew? 

Some random tourists on Mt. Etna

Next Up:  Two surprises on Mt. Etna.