Val Calanna

The “notches” of snow

Before the advent of electricity, the snow that fell on the mountains was an important resource, both for the preservation of food and for the preparation of granite and ice cream.
Ravines, natural pits and volcanic caves on Etna were often used to collect and keep snow for as long as possible. These cavities, together with those built specially by people for this purpose, were called “neviere”. The word “nivaroli”, on the other hand, referred to those whose trade it was to collect, store and transport snow.
Using special tricks, after the snow collected inside the cavities, the nivaroli would compact it with their feet and beat it with shovels until it was solid.
In summer, the frozen snow was divided into blocks and transported to the towns. For transport, the blocks of ice were first covered with ferns and chestnut leaves, then wrapped in sacks to better protect them from the heat and allow them to be loaded onto mules and carts.
In those days, the snow from Etna not only reached the nearby towns, but was even taken by ship to be sold in other parts of Italy, including Malta!

The senses tell Acicastello and Acitrezza

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

Volcanic monitoring and eruption forecasting

The fault system of the “Timpe” of Acireale

The senses tell Val Calanna

The Elliptical, the first great volcano of Etna

The Grand Tour in Sicily

Acireale and its “timpe”

Empedocles and his passion for Etna

The senses tell Valle del Leone

The senses tell Torre del Filosofo

The senses tell The Red Mountains

Why did Etna form in that specific geographical position?

An ever-evolving volcano

A fauna context yet to be discovered

The 1669 eruption in Catania

The senses tell Acireale

The earthquake that changed the geography of eastern Sicily in 1693

Acireale and reconstruction after the 1693 earthquake

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

The Red Mountains and the destructive eruption of 1669

The senses tell The Etna viewpoint

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

Etna, an ever-changing natural laboratory

The continuous evolution of the Etna summit craters

The Etna viewpoint

Etna, wine terroir of excellence

The Jaci river

Etna: a marvellous group of microclimates and vegetation

Summit crater activity between 2011 and 2019

The eruption of 1928 that destroyed the town of Mascali

The first Etnean volcanic events between Aci Castello and Aci Trezza

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

The senses tell The Summit craters

The different names of the “Muntagna”

Malavoglia

The “notches” of snow

Valle del Leone and the Elliptical

Lachea Island and the Aci Trezza Stacks

Etna, the living mountain