Her majesty Mount Etna
Alberto: here I am again with you, guys! Are you ready to continue our journey to discover Sicily?
Angela: always ready! Where are you taking us this time?
Alberto: no sea this time either. In fact, I thought I’d take you to visit the true king of the mountains: Her Majesty Mount Etna!
Piero: are you the one telling the kids they won’t see the sea?
Alberto: don’t worry, you’ll see they’ll be happy! For them too it will be a wonderful adventure, discovering a place and an unique environment that is truly extraordinary.
Angela: let’s start the van then and head off to discover Mount Etna!
All aboard!
Alberto: we’re heading a bit farther once again, towards Catania: it will take about two hours to reach our destination. We’ll cover most of the journey on the motorway: first the A20 towards Messina, then the A18 towards Catania. We exit at Giarre and from there continue along the provincial roads; about forty kilometers that will lead us to Zafferana Etnea and finally to Rifugio Sapienza, in the municipality of Nicolosi.
Piero: our ascent follows the south-eastern slope of the volcano. Even from the motorway, you can sense the sheer majesty of this volcano, rising from the sea and gradually reaching its 3,342 meters above sea level, without belonging to any mountain range.
Angela: when planning a day on Mount Etna, you need to be ready for any situation. Especially for the kids, it’s advisable to bring sweatshirts and a rain jacket: we’ll reach 2,000 meters, and even in the summer months it’s not uncommon to encounter relatively low temperatures; the wind is always a major presence up here. Comfortable shoes are a must, preferably trekking shoes: the walks aren’t extremely difficult, but lava rocks and volcanic ash can be uncomfortable.
Piero: we set off early in the morning to reach our destination. We organize everything in advance for a wonderful picnic in one of the equipped areas: we choose Rifugio Monte Vetore, just a few kilometers beyond Rifugio Sapienza.
Alberto: it’s a very well-equipped area, perfect for spending a few hours in complete relaxation, with everything you need for a picnic. There are also wide open spaces for your kids, where they can start becoming familiar with the Etna environment and with lava stone.
Angela: truly beautiful! Next time we could even think about organizing a barbecue!
Alberto: relaxed, satisfied, and happy after our picnic, we’re now ready for the most beautiful and important part of our day.
Angela: we stopped briefly for a short break and a morning coffee: now it’s time to head back to Rifugio Sapienza. We are exactly at 1,910 meters above sea level.
Piero: this refuge represents the highest point reachable by car and public transport. Its design dates back to the Fascist period and was completed in the immediate post-war years: it was meant to be a starting point for mountaineers climbing toward the central crater of the volcano. From its original role as a road maintenance house, the refuge—managed by the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) and named after a member who died in the war, Giovannino Sapienza—today offers visitors several dozen rooms and a restaurant.
Alberto: over the years, it has repeatedly risked being overwhelmed by Etna’s eruptions, as lava flows have often come very close without ever destroying it—unlike the cable car facilities, which have been rebuilt several times. In particular, the 2001 eruption reached just a few meters from the building, and the traces are still clearly visible today.
Angela: all the parking areas around the site are paid but reasonably priced; there are also other bars, refreshment points, and the inevitable shopping area. Right next to the refuge, on either side, you’ll find the mountain guides’ hut and the departure point of the Etna cable car.
Alberto: the cable car is the starting point for the most beautiful excursions to discover the volcano and to get closer to the summit craters. The cost is certainly significant, especially for a family: it ranges from about €30 per person for a round trip up to 2,500 meters—the cable car’s arrival point—to about €90 per person for the full excursion including cable car, 4x4 vehicle, and guide, allowing you to approach the summit area at around 2,900 meters, near Torre del Filosofo, just a few hundred meters from the South-East Crater.
Discovering her majesty…
Angela: I know you’re eager, Piero, you still haven’t told us anything about the volcano.
Piero: I couldn’t wait! That it is the highest active volcano in Europe and in the entire Eurasian Plate is well known. It is also known by the name Mongibello. Sicilians often refer to the volcano in the feminine form, expressing a relationship similar to the one with a mother: it’s not uncommon to hear it simply called “a muntagna,” the mountain par excellence. The etymology of its names is further evidence of the many dominations that have followed one another throughout the island’s history. The term Etna probably derives from classical Greek (from aitho, meaning “to burn”); the name Mongibello may come from the union of the Latin and Arabic words for mountain: mons and jebel; or perhaps from Mulciber, “the one who softens and governs fire,” one of the names the Romans used for the god Vulcan.
Angela: extraordinary already in its name. For its beauty and uniqueness, since 2013 UNESCO has included Mount Etna in the list of World Heritage Sites. The alternation of colors—from lava stone to forests and native plant species—blends with the charm of fire and snow, which in winter often covers the summit. Climbing Etna, you pass from citrus groves and vineyards in the fertile countryside to dense woodlands, and finally to the barren, almost lunar landscape near the crater, where the scent of broom flowers fills the air.
Alberto: over time, the frequent eruptions have sometimes profoundly reshaped the surrounding landscape, and on many occasions have posed a threat to the settlements built along its slopes. Even the volcano’s height has changed several times over the years: in the last century alone it has fluctuated between 3,250 and 3,350 meters. Most recently, on July 25, 2021, a new measurement taken with high-precision instruments identified the highest summit of the volcano at the South-East Crater, reaching 3,357 meters—the greatest height ever recorded.
Angela: today the volcano features as many as 300 craters, cones, and eruptive fissures. However, only four are currently active: the summit craters—the Voragine and the Bocca Nuova, both inside the central crater, along with the North-East Crater and the South-East Crater.
Piero: clearly, such a unique place could not escape the interest of Greek and Roman mythology; myth, together with popular beliefs, sought to explain the volcano’s behavior and its frequent eruptions by placing gods and giants at the center of the story. We begin, of course, with Vulcan, the god of fire, who was believed to have his forge right beneath Mount Etna; then there is Aeolus, who was said to keep the winds, over which he ruled, imprisoned under the volcano. We also told the story of the giant Enceladus, who rebelled against the gods and, defeated by Athena, was buried under an enormous mass of earth that gave rise to Sicily: Etna would breathe fire with every cry of the giant. Finally, the underworld of the Greeks was believed to be located beneath Etna. According to a more modern English legend, the soul of Queen Elizabeth I is said to dwell inside Etna, due to a pact she supposedly made with the devil in exchange for help in ruling her kingdom.
The Silvestri Craters
Alberto: clearly, not everyone can undertake excursions to the summit craters. As we mentioned, they are relatively expensive and certainly demanding, especially for those traveling with kids. But don’t worry—the Etna still offers the wonder of its craters at easily accessible heights near Rifugio Sapienza: I’m talking about the Silvestri Craters.
Angela: they are certainly the most visited craters and the first ones you encounter when approaching the refuge. These are the five craters formed during the 1892 eruption. They are all fairly easy to reach and to climb; one in particular, the one closest to the road, can be easily walked all around its summit, and you can even go inside it. It’s perfectly suitable for young children, of course when accompanied. Some of the craters have slightly more challenging and tiring paths, although still manageable for those like us, who are not experienced climbers.
Piero: the view from the summit of the craters is absolutely breathtaking, thanks to the striking color contrasts: the various shades of black and red of the lava rock and minerals, the green patches of plants bravely trying to grow here and there; and then the deep blue sky, interrupted by the eruption’s smoke plume. It’s an environment where silence is broken only by the whistling wind, which moves in a mesmerizing way the few plants daring to challenge the harsh lava landscape.
Angela: this short video captures the wonder of these places.
Heading back home…
Alberto: reluctantly, the time has come to leave this wonderful place, which will undoubtedly remain in our memories.
Piero: it’s one of the symbols of Sicily, both for its majesty and for the striking contrasts that are typical of this magnificent land.
Alberto: I suggest an alternative route for our journey back home: we could avoid the motorways by driving around the volcano. We could take the Circumetnea to the right, passing through Linguaglossa, or to the left towards Bronte; in either case, we could stop in Randazzo for a delicious granita or an ice cream at the famous Musumeci pastry shop, then continue to Floresta and Montalbano Elicona, from where we would reach Milazzo.
Piero: I imagine it’s enchanting, but by now it’s late, and the journey alone would take about three hours.
Angela: it would be a real shame not to enjoy the wonders of the Etna villages and the other places you mention. It will definitely be for another time, but we will surely do it!
Piero: even for the kids, seeing Etna up close is a wonderful discovery. Their excitement is ours too. We have appreciated the beauty of the landscape along with the spectacle that nature is able to offer.
