Etna is a fiery giant, blackened by petrified lava, white with snow on top and clad in woody green slopes. Its name comes from the Greek verb meaning `to light', and Hephaestus, the god of fire, helped by the Cyclops, forged lightning and thunderbolts for Zeus deep in the heart of the volcano. Typheus and Enceladus, the two rebel giants, were imprisoned under the weight of the volcano; when they attempted to shake the huge weight off their shoulders to get free, the ground shook and molten lava and lapilli erupted from Etna's two hundred craters. Another name for Etna is Mongibello (from the Latin mons, and the Arab gibel, both meaning mountain); it is said that Etna has another name but it is secret and unpronounceable, nevertheless it is known by locals as la montagna (the mountain). Indeed it is a huge isolated mountain, 3,300 m high, skirted by the two rivers Alcantara and Simeto; it is majestic, dominating half of Sicily. Edmondo De Amicis, one of the many writers and poets who have tried to capture the volcano's dark fascination throughout history, defined it as "A terrestrial paradise interrupted here and there by infernal scenes".

Indeed one of Etna's characteristics is the changing landscape and vegetation, which vary according to altitude. And the volcanic nature of the soil plays a major role in sustaining a variety of vegetation: continuous eruptions depositing layers of lava have caused it to change over and over again. At the foot of the mountain, citrus fruit cultivation has long replaced the poor endemic vegetation (typical of the area is the sea-fennel, Critbmum matitimum

Surrounded by clusters of prickly pears and gigantic agaves, where the lava soil is most fertile, are the famous `gardens' of oranges and lemons that stretch up to the mountain from the Catania plain. Up the hill cultivation diversifies: olive trees and vineyards spread over Etna's gentle sunny slopes and benefit from the summer breeze, thriving together with almond, hazelnut and pistachio trees (the Bronte pistachios are renowned), thanks to the ideal environment. Scattered over the mountain, up to 1000 m, the yellow broom bushes, nature's helper to man, were described by Leonardo Sciascia, the famous Sicilian writer, as follows: "Broom breaks out of the lava as a promise, not as a warning. It breaks up the hard lava crust, making it easier for the pick and hoe to till and for man to tenaciously cultivate". Further up, at a 1000 m, the landscape becomes woody, with oaks, holm oaks and chestnut trees interspersed with Corsican pines (the pine wood in Linguaglossa is enchanting), and at 1500 m there is an amplitude of birch and beech. Higher up the mountain is sparsely covered with astragalus, juniper and tansy bushes. There is no plant life around the fiery craters, earth and ashes form the barren landscape. Etna is one of the most important active volcanoes, so a hike to the craters is a unique and unforgettable experience, especially for volcanologists. The best way to see Etna is by village-hopping in the foothills. Along the way one may discover the varied nature of its wildlife, changing scenery and folklore: every stop is a new experience. Leaving from Catania and driving anti-clockwise round the mountain, after Trecastagni, dominated by the Monti Rossi craters (low level craters formed during the eruption of 1669), you come to panoramic Zafferana Etnea where, in the municipal park cultural events are held during summer amongst the cedars of Lebanon, magnolias, age old oaks and a rare collection of cammelias. Further round you get to Linguaglossa, whose name probably refers to a big lava `tongue' (lingua) that came out of the volcano in the 1634 eruption. Others believe that the name is a tautological compound of the Latin word lingua and the Greek glossa (both having the same meaning), referring to the strip of land where the town is located.
Whatever the origins of the name, the fact is that Linguaglossa is an enchanting little place, with an extremely interesting and well-documented museum on the ethnology, flora and fauna of Etna. Close to the splendid pine forest, one can visit the Grotta del Gelo cave, where different air streams keep the temperature below zero and form amazing icicles.


Further up is Randazzo, the closest village (15 km) to the crater. Unlike many other villages and towns destroyed by lava flows throughout history, Randazzo has remained unscathed, boasting a marvellous historical centre: entirely built out of black stone it rises up out of a prehistoric slab of lava. Randazzo was inhabited by three different peoples who spoke different dialects (Greek, Latin, Lombard) until 1500; they lived in three distinct neighbourhoods and had three different cathedrals: S. Maria, of Norman-Swabian architecture, S. Martino and S. Nicolò Next, at the foot of the volcano, is Bronte, where a violent uprising took place in 1860 followed by the bloody repression under Garibaldi. Ferdinando III of Bourbon gave Orazio Nelson the town, estate and the title of Duke of Bronte, as a sign of gratitude for the help admiral Nelson had given in repressing the people's uprising in Naples in 1799. Together with the duchy, he was also given the nearby abbey of S. Maria di Maniace, a monastery built in 1173 for Queen Margherita, the mother of William II, which was then transformed into a noble palace.

Down by the coast towards Catania is ancient historical Adrano, rising up from a mound of lava. The Norman castle, built by Roger 1, hosts an archaeological Museum exhibiting important remains from Adranon and the surrounding area. You can visit the ruins of an ancient Siculian town at Mendolito, a few km away; this town was abandoned when Adranon was founded. Here excavators found a precious stone inscription in ancient Siculian and a large collection of bronze items dating back to VII century B.C. From Mendolito, a small deviation leads you to Ponte dei Saraceni bridge (four arches, two of them ogival). Its name is due to the fact that it is said to have been built by the Arabs, but actually it dates back to 1300. Folk events not to be missed are two festivals in Adrano: the Diavolata, at Easter, and the Volata dell'angelo, when a boy dressed as an angel "flies" over the coffin of the hermit Saint Nicolò Politi.

Almost everywhere in the area, characteristic religious festivals are held: May 10 in Trecastagni, Sant'Alfio Festival, with a horse race through the village; December 12 in Belpasso, in memory of the martyrdom of Santa Lucia, a parade of floats, superbly decorated by local craftsmen. Still in the foothills of Etna, on the Ionian side, two botanical curiosities are worth a visit. Close to Sant'Alflo stands the gigantic Castagno dei cento cavalli chestnut tree, said to be one of the oldest trees on earth. According to legend, queen Giovanna d'Angiò sheltered under it with her hundred horsemen. Close to Milo is the Ilice di Contrada Carrinu tree, a giant oak (ilex quercus) whose circumference measures ten meters. Along the coast, where the mountain seems to plunge into the sea, the poignant myth of Aci, the young shepherd, killed by Polyphemus because of his love for the nymph Galatea, is still alive. The names of many of the villages recall this tragic story sung by Virgil, Ovid and Petrarca. Acireale is the most important town around: rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake, it bears the unmistakable imprint of Sicilian Baroque; it is also famous for its lively Carnival (parades of floats) and quality ice-cream. Aci Trezza is the fishing village where I Malavoglia, written by Verga, the famous Sicilian novelist, was set. In front are the bole dei Ciclopi (Cyclops' Islands): according to legend they are the stones that Polyphemus hurled in rage at the fleeing Greek ships on being blinded by Ulysses/Nobody.

Procopio de' Coltelli, famous for making ice-cream from Etna snow, was born in Aci Trezza in 1600. He then moved to Paris, where he opened the Cafe Procope, patronised by intellectuals and mentioned by Anatole France. At Ad Castello there is a Norman castle made of lava stone, built on a dramatic basalt lava cliff. There are lots of other little towns called Aci in the surrounding area: Ad Bonaccorsi, Ad Catena, Ad Sant'Antonio and many more. On the Ionian, on route from Giarre to Calatabiano, S. Marco and Fiumefreddo, there are some superb castles worth taking time over, whilst on route to Messina you find Giardini Naxos, the first town built by the ancient Greeks in Sicily. It would also be a pity to miss the Gole dell'Alcantara gorges on the road to Francavilla di Sicilia.

Sicilian writer Federico De Roberto described these gorges as "extremely narrow, extremely deep, snake-like ravines, formed from basalt prisms... slow waters flow silently between narrow dark walls and become tinged with grey-violet hues, and little imagination does it take to believe you are somewhere in the inferno".

Today it is still very much the same and the visitor can follow the river upstream along the gorges for approximately 150 m. Back on the Ionian, Taormina, a tourist destination famous all over the world for its enchanting location, archaeological remains, art and culture, beaches, climate and friendly inhabitants.

THE ETNA REGIONAL PARK:
 

The Etna Regional Park is dominated by the volcano, the biggest and most active in Europe. It was the first Park to be established in Sicily in March 1987, owing to the need to protect this unique environment. Etna is very close to the Ionian coast of Sicily and the first eruptions, half a million years ago, filled the gulf edged by the Peloritani and Iblei mountains creating, along with silt from the Simeto river, the Plain of Catania. The mountain has a surface area of some 1,260 sq. km. and is some 3,350 m high. However the height varies according to eruptions, which can build and be `constructive', or be `destructive' and cause the crater's edge to cave in. The most frequent activity is effusive, with small eruptions spewing lava and weak explosions only at the mouth of the crater, with spectacular yet harmless lava fountains. There is more to the Park than impressive eruptions and red-hot lava flows. Around the volcano is a unique and incomparable environment, characterised in the valleys by vineyards, hazelnut trees, oak forests, apple trees, chestnut trees, etc. On the oldest lava flows, beech, birch trees and wonderful Corsican pine trees grow. The thriving vegetation owes much to the extraordinarily fertile volcanic terrain. The Etna Regional Park, stretching for 59,000 ha from the summit of the volcano to the band of villages in the upper foothills, is subdivided into four areas, according to the needs of environmental preservation.

Area A (19,000 ha), special reserve, with no human settlement. It is an area of vast virgin spaces, a realm for big birds of prey, including the golden eagle.

Area B (26,000 ha), general reserve, partly consisting of little allotments, earmarked for the splendid old farmhouses, frugal animal shelters, wineries, austere manor houses, traces of ancient ways of life still alive today.

Areas C and D (14,000 ha), considered to be `pre-park' areas, where environmentally-friendly tourist facilities are found.

Etna Regional Park consists of the following towns: Adrano, Belpasso, Biancavilla, Bronte, Castiglione, Giarre, Linguaglossa, Maletto, Mascali, Milo, Nicolosi, Pedara, Piedimonte Etneo, Ragalna, Randazzo, S. Alfio, Santa Maria di Licodia, Trecastagni, Viagrande and Zafferana.