Acireale

The senses tell Acireale

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The sea at more than 180°

Etna’s best outlet into the sea is in the area of the Timpe. From here, in some panoramic viewpoints it is possible to observe the open sea with a panorama that extends past 180°. And on clear days, the Ionian coast of Calabria can be seen, too.

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Where granita was born

Acireale is the birthplace of the Sicilian granita. In fact, this is one of the few places in Sicily where lots of snow and ice was possible during the winter, which were stored in iceboxes dug into the rock then distributed during the summer with carts.
The ice was flavoured with sugar and one of the most abundant fruits in this part of Sicily, the lemon. You must make the most of a visit to Acireale and taste the authentic flavour of the Sicilian granita

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Warmth, even in winter

Several places and viewpoints are present along the cliffs of the Timpe. In these areas shaped by time and the movement of a vast system of faults, there are many lava flows emerging along the roads.
Place your hands on them and you will feel the accumulated heat that they emanate, during the day and at night, even during the coldest times of the year.

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The power of the sea

There is nothing more powerful than the stormy sea. At the edge of the timpa, during a storm coming from the east, you can hear the real impetuosity of the sea, so intense that the ground underfoot vibrates, too.

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The scent of the sea reale

The Timpe are one of the Etnean places where you can appreciate the characteristic scent of the sea, especially when the sea breeze rises around lunchtime.

The senses tell Acicastello and Acitrezza

Etna, the living mountain

An ever-evolving volcano

The “notches” of snow

The continuous evolution of the Etna summit craters

The senses tell Torre del Filosofo

Acireale and its “timpe”

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

The Grand Tour in Sicily

The first Etnean volcanic events between Aci Castello and Aci Trezza

The Red Mountains and the destructive eruption of 1669

The senses tell The Etna viewpoint

Empedocles and his passion for Etna

The different names of the “Muntagna”

The Jaci river

The senses tell The Summit craters

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

The eruption of 1928 that destroyed the town of Mascali

Volcanic monitoring and eruption forecasting

Etna, wine terroir of excellence

The senses tell The Red Mountains

The Elliptical, the first great volcano of Etna

Etna: a marvellous group of microclimates and vegetation

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

The 1669 eruption in Catania

The fault system of the “Timpe” of Acireale

A fauna context yet to be discovered

The senses tell Valle del Leone

Acireale and reconstruction after the 1693 earthquake

The senses tell Acireale

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

Valle del Leone and the Elliptical

Etna, an ever-changing natural laboratory

The senses tell Val Calanna

Summit crater activity between 2011 and 2019

Malavoglia

Why did Etna form in that specific geographical position?

Lachea Island and the Aci Trezza Stacks

The Etna viewpoint

The earthquake that changed the geography of eastern Sicily in 1693