Page 176 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sicily

174  SICIL Y AREA B Y AREA

e Mount Etna

Mount Etna is fundamental to Sicily’s nature and
landscape. The Italian writer Leonardo Sciascia (see
p27) called it “a huge house cat, that purrs quietly
and awakens every so often”. Etna is Europe’s
largest active volcano and dominates the whole of
eastern Sicily. Feared and loved, Etna is both snow
and fire, lush vegetation and black lava. Around
the crater you can still see the remnants of Valle del Bove
numbers of ancient vents. Further down is the Many recent lava flows have ended here. The
eerie, barren landscape of the Valle del Bove. craters Calanna and Trifoglietto I are of very
ancient origin. This is one of the most
fascinating places in the Etna area.

The Sicilian Hound
The Sicilian hound or cirneco is a breed of
dog native to the Etna area. In ancient
times it was a hunting dog.

KEY
1 Acireale
2 Catania
3 Paternò
4 Ragalna
5 Nicolosi
The Largest Volcano in Europe
6 The 1983 eruption was the
first diverted by human effort. Etna, or Mongibello (from the Italian monte and the Arab gebel,
both meaning “mountain”), is a relatively “recent” volcano that
7 Rifugio Sapienza emerged two million years ago. It has erupted frequently in known
8 2001 and 2002 eruptions history. Some of the most devastating eruptions were in 1381 and
9 Zafferana Etnea 1669, when the lava reached Catania. The most recent ones took
place in 2001 and 2002. On these occasions the lava flow caused
0 Calanna volcano
extensive damage to Rifugio Sapienza, destroyed the ski facilities
q Valle del Bove and the cable-car apparatus and came within 4 km (2.5 miles)
w The principal craters: of the village of Nicolosi. Eruptions that have occurred in the
Trifoglietto I and II, Mongibello. last 20 years are shown here.
e Secondary eruptive vents
r 1978 eruption
t Secondary lava streams
y The domes, the upthrust of
the Earth’s crust, are formed when
there is not enough pressure for
the magma to overflow.
u 1981 eruption
i Taormina
o 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991 and
1999 eruptions Lowland Landscape
p Riposto The breakdown of volcanic material in the valley below Mount
Etna has resulted in very fertile land which supports almonds,
olives, grapes, citrus fruit and vegetables below 1,000 m (3,280 ft).
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp204–5 and pp216–17

174-175_EW_Sicily.indd 174 11/3/16 2:07 PM