Acireale

The Jaci river

Thanks to their permeability, the vulcanites of the Timpa form an important reservoir for the groundwater of this portion of the Sicilian east coast. In some places these waters come to the surface, creating springs mostly around sea level. One of these is called “Sorgente Miuccio”, which is said to be what remains of the Jaci river, a waterway now mostly underground and also mentioned by Ovid . These waters are inextricably linked to the mythological love story between the nymph Galatea and the shepherd boy Acis .
The name of the shepherd refers to the river, initially known by the Greeks as Akis. Subsequently, it was mentioned by Muhammad al-Idrisi, the famous cartographer of King Roger II, by the name of Aci. This name identified not only the river but an entire area on which nine towns and municipalities would later form, using the same prefix: Acireale, Aci Catena, Aci Castello, Aci Trezza, Aci Platani, Aci Santa Lucia, Aci Bonaccorsi, Aci San Filippo and Aci Sant’Antonio.

Acireale and reconstruction after the 1693 earthquake

A fauna yet to be discovered

The earthquake that changed the geography of eastern Sicily in 1693

The fault system of the “Timpe” of Acireale

The senses tell Val Calanna

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

An ever-evolving volcano

The senses tell Torre del Filosofo

Etna: a marvellous group of different types of flora

The Etna viewpoint

The senses tell Valle del Leone

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

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

The Red Mountains and the destructive eruption of 1669

The senses tell Acicastello and Acitrezza

Valle del Leone and the Elliptical

Malavoglia

The different names of the “Muntagna”

The senses tell Acireale

Empedocles and his passion for Etna

The Grand Tour in Sicily

The Elliptical, the first great volcano of Etna

The eruption of 1928 that destroyed the town of Mascali

The senses tell The summit craters

The living mountain

The 2001 eruption of Etna, when the Mountain seemed to be alive

The Jaci river

The first volcanic structures of Etna, between Aci Castello and Aci Trezza

The world’s first (almost successful) attempt to stop a lava flow: the eruption of 1991-93

The senses tell The Etna Viewpoint

Lachea Island and the Aci Trezza Stacks

The continuous evolution of the Etna summit craters

Acireale and its “timpe”

Why is Etna one of the most studied volcanoes in the world?

Etna, a natural laboratory where experiments can be carried out

The “notches” of snow

The senses tell The Red Mountains

The 1669 eruption in Catania

Summit crater activity between 2011 and 2019