Acireale

Acireale and reconstruction after the 1693 earthquake

As always happens, geology shapes the territory and influences its development. Like the rest of south-eastern Sicily, Acireale suffered heavily from the catastrophic effects of the 1693 earthquake, which destroyed almost every part of it. This earthquake was one of the most energetic and destructive ever recorded in historical times in Italy, so strong that it moved some portions of the majestic Simeto river by as much as 2 metres.
In Acireale, the lava stone typically used in the Etnean area to construct buildings for its hardness and resistance, acquired further value thanks to the skill of the artisans who embellished it with baroque motifs, just like in the Val di Noto with white stone. Today you can admire the magnificent entrance portals of the noble Acesi palaces adorned with masks and corbels with anthropomorphic figures, acanthus leaves and geometric figures. The reconstruction of the city also introduced the use of white Hyblaean stone, which enriches the local architecture by creating a wonderfully scenic contrast with the black of the lava stone.

The fault system of the “Timpe” of Acireale

An ever-evolving volcano

Malavoglia

The senses tell The Red Mountains

Empedocles and his passion for Etna

The Jaci river

The first Etnean volcanic events between Aci Castello and Aci Trezza

Why did Etna form in that specific geographical position?

Etna, wine terroir of excellence

Lachea Island and the Aci Trezza Stacks

Valle del Leone and the Elliptical

The earthquake that changed the geography of eastern Sicily in 1693

The senses tell Val Calanna

Etna: a marvellous group of microclimates and vegetation

A fauna context yet to be discovered

Val Calanna, the first step towards a single large volcanic structure

The Red Mountains and the destructive eruption of 1669

Etna, an ever-changing natural laboratory

Humankind and the volcano: how should we behave? Volcanic risk

The senses tell The Summit craters

Torre del Filosofo: at the base of the summit craters (2950 metres)

Acireale and its “timpe”

The senses tell Valle del Leone

Acireale and reconstruction after the 1693 earthquake

The senses tell The Etna viewpoint

Summit crater activity between 2011 and 2019

The senses tell Torre del Filosofo

The senses tell Acicastello and Acitrezza

The Elliptical, the first great volcano of Etna

The “notches” of snow

The Grand Tour in Sicily

The eruption of 1928 that destroyed the town of Mascali

The senses tell Acireale

Etna, the living mountain

Volcanic monitoring and eruption forecasting

The continuous evolution of the Etna summit craters

The different names of the “Muntagna”

The 2001 eruption of Mount Etna, where the approach to volcanoes changed

The 1669 eruption in Catania

The Etna viewpoint