Val Calanna

The “notches” of snow

Before the advent of electricity, the snow that fell on the mountains was an important resource, both for the preservation of food and for the preparation of granite and ice cream.
Ravines, natural pits and volcanic caves on Etna were often used to collect and keep snow for as long as possible. These cavities, together with those built specially by people for this purpose, were called “neviere”. The word “nivaroli”, on the other hand, referred to those whose trade it was to collect, store and transport snow.
Using special tricks, after the snow collected inside the cavities, the nivaroli would compact it with their feet and beat it with shovels until it was solid.
In summer, the frozen snow was divided into blocks and transported to the towns. For transport, the blocks of ice were first covered with ferns and chestnut leaves, then wrapped in sacks to better protect them from the heat and allow them to be loaded onto mules and carts.
In those days, the snow from Etna not only reached the nearby towns, but was even taken by ship to be sold in other parts of Italy, including Malta!

Etna: a marvellous group of microclimates and vegetation

The Red Mountains and the destructive eruption of 1669

The Etna viewpoint

The senses tell Torre del Filosofo

Etna, wine terroir of excellence

The continuous evolution of the Etna summit craters

Volcanic monitoring and eruption forecasting

The 1669 eruption in Catania

Lachea Island and the Aci Trezza Stacks

The senses tell The Red Mountains

The different names of the “Muntagna”

The senses tell Acicastello and Acitrezza

Valle del Leone and the Elliptical

The senses tell Valle del Leone

The Jaci river

Why did Etna form in that specific geographical position?

The eruption of 1928 that destroyed the town of Mascali

The senses tell The Etna viewpoint

Summit crater activity between 2011 and 2019

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

Etna, an ever-changing natural laboratory

The first Etnean volcanic events between Aci Castello and Aci Trezza

Etna, the living mountain

A fauna context yet to be discovered

An ever-evolving volcano

Empedocles and his passion for Etna

The “notches” of snow

The fault system of the “Timpe” of Acireale

Acireale and its “timpe”

The earthquake that changed the geography of eastern Sicily in 1693

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

Acireale and reconstruction after the 1693 earthquake

The Grand Tour in Sicily

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

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

The senses tell Acireale

The Elliptical, the first great volcano of Etna

The senses tell Val Calanna

The senses tell The Summit craters

Malavoglia