Valle del Leone

Valle del Leone and the Elliptical

In the upper northern flank of Etna, at 2900 metres above sea level, is the Valle del Leone. It is a depression, running east to west, that overlooks the larger Valle del Bove, where you get one of the best views of the volcano.
In fact, it is the best place to observe the northern border of the Valle del Bove, formed entirely of the volcanic products of the Elliptical, which developed between 60 and 15,000 years ago.
Changing our line of vision just slightly, the Valle del Bove can be seen in its entirety. A breathtaking sight considering that from over 2900 metres above sea level, you can easily see the sea at a very short distance!
If we move our gaze slightly clockwise again, we see something whose important presence can be sensed. At this altitude, when the summit craters of Mount Etna, at almost 3400 metres above sea level, degas at the same time, they give us a clear perception of just how alive the volcano is under our feet. If we head north, we find something unexpected: an incredible panorama of all of northern Sicily and the entire Aeolian archipelago that nourishes the soul.
Finally, concluding our 360° tour, we notice a house with a small dome: this is the historical Etna Observatory , one of the highest observatories in the world on an active volcano, recently restored by the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.
Le Eolie viste dall’Etna

Why did Etna form in that specific geographical position?

Acireale and its “timpe”

Acireale and reconstruction after the 1693 earthquake

The eruption of 1928 that destroyed the town of Mascali

An ever-evolving volcano

The senses tell The Summit craters

Etna, an ever-changing natural laboratory

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

The different names of the “Muntagna”

The senses tell Val Calanna

The earthquake that changed the geography of eastern Sicily in 1693

The 1669 eruption in Catania

The Grand Tour in Sicily

The Etna viewpoint

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

Volcanic monitoring and eruption forecasting

The senses tell Valle del Leone

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

Summit crater activity between 2011 and 2019

Etna, wine terroir of excellence

The senses tell Acireale

The Jaci river

The senses tell Torre del Filosofo

Lachea Island and the Aci Trezza Stacks

Valle del Leone and the Elliptical

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

A fauna context yet to be discovered

The Elliptical, the first great volcano of Etna

The “notches” of snow

The senses tell The Etna viewpoint

Etna: a marvellous group of microclimates and vegetation

The first Etnean volcanic events between Aci Castello and Aci Trezza

Empedocles and his passion for Etna

Malavoglia

The senses tell Acicastello and Acitrezza

The senses tell The Red Mountains

The continuous evolution of the Etna summit craters

The Red Mountains and the destructive eruption of 1669

Etna, the living mountain

The fault system of the “Timpe” of Acireale