Walking in Sicily. Gillian Price

      Shepherds’ hut backed by Etna’s central craters (Walk 6)

      Sicily’s massive landmark volcano began life thanks to submarine activity in a long-gone gulf in eastern Sicily over half a million years ago, and appears to rise directly from the Ionian Sea. It needed Scottish geologist Charles Lyell in 1858 to demonstrate that it was the outcome of small-scale recurrent eruptions instead of a single cataclysm, the prevalent theory of the time.

      With its 3300m in altitude, Monte Etna is Europe’s highest active volcano, dominating the whole of Sicily. The volcano covers an area of 1600 sq km, has a diameter of 44km and a base circumference of some 160. The height of the upper crater is currently around 3340m, though this varies considerably with lava build-up. Views from the summit can range as far as 240km.

      At present four craters are active on the summit: the North East, the Bocca Nuova (new mouth), the South East and the Voragine (chasm); while around 320 secondary or adventive cones dot the slopes, witnesses to recurrent decentralised activity.

      The first recorded eruption, and possibly the most violent, occurred in 475 BC, though a subsequent episode in 396 BC was evidently of mammoth proportions as it obstructed the progress of the Carthaginian army. Over 250 more have since followed, often catastrophic events such as in 1669 when 15 villages were obliterated and Catania was inundated by lava, which reached the sea and resulted in a 2km extension of the coastline. Over the last 30 years there has been an eruption every three years on average, for a duration between a few hours to a matter of years. The explosive activity has become Strombolian in nature, namely small explosive eruptions and often accompanied by spectacular lava fountaining. Noteworthy recent flows include that of 1985, which cut across the road from Nicolosi, and the 1991 streams which threatened Zafferana Etnea. Moreover the 1991–93 period meant over 250 cubic metres of lava over 473 days. In late 1999 a voluminous river of lava from the Bocca Nuova made its way down the western flanks in the direction of the township of Bronte. On the other hand the extended 2000–2003 eruptions made headlines all over the world. Columns of thick smoke and ash of biblical dimensions towered into the sky, showing up on satellite pictures – and incidentally closing Catania’s airport. A new mouth opened up, discharging mammoth amounts of lava in a sluggish but destructive red-black river north-northeast that slowly submerged the northern resort of Piano Provenzana. Fortunately there have been few victims; life-threatening explosions are rare and the creeping lava flows are slow enough to give people time to evacuate their homes.

      As an alternative to mechanical diversion of lava or dynamiting, forbidden practices nowadays, the protection of Catania’s patron Saint Agata is often evoked to halt the fiery rivers. In the wake of her martyrdom in the third century, her veil miraculously saved the city from being engulfed by magma and continues to be revered and borne in procession on her feast day, 5 February.

      Another remarkable story, of obscure origin, stars none other than Queen Elizabeth I of England. During her early imprisonment she evidently drew up a pact with Beelzebub, prince of the devils, exchanging for her soul the throne of England and victory over her enemies, the Catholic Church included. On her death at the ripe age of 70, she requested a final favour of him: that her body not be interred in the cold, damp earth of England, but on an immense mountain on an island she had dreamt of in the middle of the Mediterranean. Her wish was fulfilled, and the devil bore her body dressed in full royal regalia into the fiery magmatic depths of none other than Sicily’s Etna!

      Some notes on the natural inhabitants of the mountain are in order. Lava, ‘the black milk of Etna’s breast’, in the words of Carlo Levi, means a dearth of nitrogen, an essential element for plant life. Notwithstanding, it is colonised by a succession of fascinating plant types and can even be dated by the vegetation it supports. First off the mark are lichens and algae, which obtain nitrogen from the air and attach themselves to the rock surfaces, paving the way for the pioneer species such as milk vetch and the ubiquitous Etna broom shrubs, whose strong roots help break up the solidified lava. Then come prickly pear, fruit-bearing trees and olives, with grape vines last of all.

      Vegetation on the mountain fits into three clear altitude bands: the lowest, from sea level to around 1000m, densely cultivated, is characterised by grapes, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, figs and fruit orchards that thrive on the fertile volcanic soil; this is followed by steeper terrain which is cloaked with broom and woods of chestnut, oak and beech (which holds the European record for altitude here, growing as high as 2250m), as well as a relic from the ice ages, the endemic birch, which resembles the Scandinavian variety. These precede the over 2000m band, or ‘desert’, of ashes and sand. This apparently barren lavic terrain is suited to a surprising array of flowering species, such as two special daisies, Etna camomile and ragwort, which make it up to an incredible 3050m, closely followed by a sort of crimson sorrel. A little beneath them, the fine sand is anchored by striking tussocks of milk-vetch, Astragalus siculus or Spino santo, ‘holy thorn’, which provides hospitality for other plants such as Etna mouse-ear. Further endemics, the Etna violet and soapwort, which comes in pink cushions, also belong here.

      A bright range of butterflies is to be seen, while feathered wildlife is abundant across the volcanic slopes, notably birds of prey such as golden eagles and red kites, while a host of hardy, tiny ground nesters (such as black and white tailed wheatears, stonechat, blue rock thrush and black redstart) can be seen darting across the high-altitude lava fields. The woods on the other hand are home to jays and woodpeckers. The animal front is dominated by wild cats, foxes and rabbits, whose populations have reputedly reached plague proportions since hunting has been banned in the Park. A curious phenomenon can be observed in early summer with the arrival of incredible ‘clouds’ of scarlet ladybirds that are airlifted helplessly en masse and easily spotted against the dark terrain.

      The extraordinary world of Etna – an island within an island – lends itself to an enthralling series of visits punctuated by phenomena such as fumarole(hissing gas vents), immense lunar expanses thick in soft ash and lapilli, adventive cones, volcanic bombs akin to huge cannon balls of viscous lava which are spun out of craters, and unique underground tubes or lava tunnels. If conditions are favourable, the actual summit craters can be reached, lying on the level of the trademark ‘cloud’ – smoke in actual fact. However it is the striking contrast between life and death that leaves lasting impressions. Flourishing vineyards are half-buried by dark lava, roofs of erstwhile houses emerge from under a sombre solid avalanche, newly reconstructed stretches of road and rail make their tentative way across blackened wastes. Despite the persistent onslaughts, life goes on around the volcano, its lower slopes densely populated.