Acicastello and Acitrezza

The first volcanic structures of Etna, between Aci Castello and Aci Trezza

Aci Castello and Aci Trezza are two small towns along the Etnean coast, located between the two larger settlements of Catania and Acireale. Their origins are mainly linked to settlements of fishermen, as shown by the literature about this area and the ever-present folklore traditions .
The first phases of Etnean volcanic activity developed around 500,000 years ago from a system of faults and fractures located in the current lower flank, in the area between the villages of Aci Castello and Aci Trezza.
At that time, the area where Etna now stands was partly occupied by a gulf where underwater eruptions occurred. The cliff of the Aci Castello castle is a classic example of this type of underwater activity, in a shallow seabed almost at the surface of the water.
La rupe di AcicastelloIn fact, the cliff is simply a tower-shaped accumulation of “ pillow lavas ”, on which a deposit is superimposed due to small underwater volcanic explosions which, in volcanological terms, are called hyaloclastite breccias . In front of the coast of Aci Trezza is one of the most fascinating places on the Etnean coastline, with the presence of Lachea island and the Stacks.
 Faraglioni acitrezzaIn these places it is possible to observe Etna’s volcanic products alternating with clay: the latter is only deposited in the marine environment, and further demonstrates Etna’s underwater activity.
This is one of Etna’s most fascinating places, which shows how A’ Muntagna has changed profoundly over time, from its birth to its current volcanic activity.

The Grand Tour in Sicily

The fault system of the “Timpe” of Acireale

The living mountain

The “notches” of snow

The senses tell Acicastello and Acitrezza

The senses tell Acireale

The earthquake that changed the geography of eastern Sicily in 1693

An ever-evolving volcano

Acireale and reconstruction after the 1693 earthquake

The 2001 eruption of Etna, when the Mountain seemed to be alive

The senses tell Torre del Filosofo

The Elliptical, the first great volcano of Etna

The 1669 eruption in Catania

The world’s first (almost successful) attempt to stop a lava flow: the eruption of 1991-93

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

The senses tell Val Calanna

Empedocles and his passion for Etna

The Etna viewpoint

The continuous evolution of the Etna summit craters

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

Valle del Leone and the Elliptical

Etna, a natural laboratory where experiments can be carried out

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

The Red Mountains and the destructive eruption of 1669

Malavoglia

Etna: a marvellous group of different types of flora

Summit crater activity between 2011 and 2019

Acireale and its “timpe”

A fauna yet to be discovered

The first volcanic structures of Etna, between Aci Castello and Aci Trezza

The senses tell The Etna Viewpoint

The senses tell The summit craters

The senses tell Valle del Leone

The senses tell The Red Mountains

The Jaci river

The different names of the “Muntagna”

Why is Etna one of the most studied volcanoes in the world?

Lachea Island and the Aci Trezza Stacks

The eruption of 1928 that destroyed the town of Mascali