Etna, Mount

Mount Etna photographed in eruption. The volcano can be extremely violent, and destroyed several towns in the 1950s, yet the area at its foot is densely populated, with vineyards, orchards, and orange groves. The first recorded eruption was in c. 700 BC.

Volcano on the east coast of the Italian island of Sicily, 3,323 m/10,906 ft, the highest active volcano in Europe. About 90 eruptions have been recorded since 1800 BC, yet the lower slopes are densely populated because of the rich soil. This cultivated zone includes the coastal town of Catania.

The first known eruption occurred in 475 BC, and was described by the Greek writers Pindar and Aeschylus. There are records of numerous later eruptions, often accompanied by earthquakes, but those of 1169 and 1669 were the most destructive. Following an eruption in July 2001, the magma flow from the Sicilian mountain came within 4 km/2.5 mi of the village of Nicolosi.