Acireale

The fault system of the “Timpe” of Acireale

The Timpe are imposing escarpments up to 150 metres high, which stand in the coastal strip between Capo Mulini and the city of Acireale. They are very steep walls where, in this specific case, it is possible to observe the volcanic events of the second evolutionary phase of Mount Etna, following that of the Aci Trezza and Aci Castello stacks from 500,000 years ago.
Between 220,000 and 130,000 years ago, the eruptive activity moved further north than the area of Aci Castello, focused along the Ionian coast in line with a system of faults called the Timpe.
During this evolutionary phase of Etna there were several fissure eruptions, located along this narrow coastal strip, but with an axis positioned in front of the present-day Timpe, so in the sea in front.
Timpe di Acireale The continuous overlapping of lava flows in this area has led over time to the formation of an early shield-shaped volcanic structure. The internal structure of this shield volcano is now exposed along the fault slopes of the Timpe between Acireale and Moscarello.
In fact, the lava flows and all the other products are submerged inland, not towards the sea, proving that the eruptive mouths were located where the stretch of sea is now.

The 1669 eruption in Catania

An ever-evolving volcano

A fauna context yet to be discovered

The senses tell The Red Mountains

The Grand Tour in Sicily

The senses tell Torre del Filosofo

The senses tell Val Calanna

The fault system of the “Timpe” of Acireale

The eruption of 1928 that destroyed the town of Mascali

Etna, the living mountain

Volcanic monitoring and eruption forecasting

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

The first Etnean volcanic events between Aci Castello and Aci Trezza

The senses tell The Etna viewpoint

Acireale and its “timpe”

Why did Etna form in that specific geographical position?

The earthquake that changed the geography of eastern Sicily in 1693

Etna, an ever-changing natural laboratory

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

Summit crater activity between 2011 and 2019

The senses tell The Summit craters

The Red Mountains and the destructive eruption of 1669

Malavoglia

The senses tell Valle del Leone

The continuous evolution of the Etna summit craters

Valle del Leone and the Elliptical

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

Etna, wine terroir of excellence

The “notches” of snow

Lachea Island and the Aci Trezza Stacks

The Elliptical, the first great volcano of Etna

Etna: a marvellous group of microclimates and vegetation

Empedocles and his passion for Etna

The Etna viewpoint

The senses tell Acireale

The senses tell Acicastello and Acitrezza

The Jaci river

Acireale and reconstruction after the 1693 earthquake

The different names of the “Muntagna”

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