Valle del Leone

The senses tell Valle del Leone

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Dizzying panorama

From an altitude of 2900 metres, in the upper part of the Valle del Leone, the panorama is one of the most evocative in all of Sicily. In fact, on clear days it is possible to see the whole northern coast of Sicily, the Aeolian Islands and, if you are lucky, all the mountain ranges of the Peloritani, the Nebrodi, the Madonie, and even Palermo.

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The smell of the volcano tr

It is not uncommon for the wind to blow in the direction of the Valle del Leone, carrying with it gases from the summit craters. Without spending too much time standing in the gas cloud, you can experience the classic smell given off by a volcano.

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Volcanic glass

The soil in the Valle del Leone consists of ash and lapilli emitted during Etna’s recent activity. Though soft when walked on, try to take some of this sand in your hand and you will feel how it is actually highly abrasive, since it is formed of sharp volcanic glass.

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Wind, explosions and nothing else

You are in one of the quietest places Sicily has to offer. In fact, the high altitude does not allow for much fauna, so what you will hear is just the sound of the wind, often harsh, and the explosions of the nearby north-eastern crater.

The senses tell Acicastello and Acitrezza

The living mountain

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

The Elliptical, the first great volcano of Etna

The Jaci river

Summit crater activity between 2011 and 2019

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

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

The senses tell Val Calanna

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

The earthquake that changed the geography of eastern Sicily in 1693

The different names of the “Muntagna”

The senses tell The Etna Viewpoint

The senses tell Torre del Filosofo

The senses tell Valle del Leone

The 1669 eruption in Catania

The eruption of 1928 that destroyed the town of Mascali

The senses tell Acireale

Acireale and its “timpe”

The Etna viewpoint

Empedocles and his passion for Etna

The Red Mountains and the destructive eruption of 1669

The senses tell The summit craters

Etna, a natural laboratory where experiments can be carried out

A fauna yet to be discovered

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

The continuous evolution of the Etna summit craters

The “notches” of snow

An ever-evolving volcano

Acireale and reconstruction after the 1693 earthquake

Lachea Island and the Aci Trezza Stacks

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

The Grand Tour in Sicily

Malavoglia

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

The fault system of the “Timpe” of Acireale

Valle del Leone and the Elliptical

Etna: a marvellous group of different types of flora

The senses tell The Red Mountains