Perhaps not everyone knows that Sicily, for a short period of its history, had independence aims that have recently returned to the fore. To calm those aims, the island obtained a special statute that binds it to Italy in an almost federal way. The few who believed in the dream of independence fought even bloody battles between the end of the Second World War and the mid-1950s. There are few monuments that commemorate those events, scattered throughout the territory, but there is an important one on Mount Etna. At Murazzo Rotto, a hamlet of Randazzo. Ideal place, this one – even without romantic political ideals – for a Labour Day in the nature.

The Monument of Murazzo Rotto

Murazzo Rotto is a small village in the municipal area of Randazzo, the much better known medieval town that dominates the north side of Etna. You hardly notice that you are passing through this village, located on both sides of a major state road. Then suddenly a few houses, lava stone walls, and a yellow-and-red flag waving… the flag of Sicily.

You will stop in the shade of the trees and read the words engraved in the stone that commemorate the death of three militants of the Sicilian Independentist Movement in 1945. The war was already over, but in Sicily it continued between the countryside and the lavic slopes of Mt. Etna. Here in Murazzo Rotto, Mario Turri (known by the name of Antonio Canepa), Carmelo Rosano and Giuseppe Lo Giudice fought a group of Carabinieri who killed them. It was June 17th, 1945.

In their memory a boulder called “Cippo” was placed there, on which the flag of the region flies. In front of this monument every year a commemorative ceremony is held in the presence of the Randazzo authorities.

The Murazzo Rotto itinerary

The “Cippo” of Murazzo Rotto is located on the route that connects some of the most

beautiful places on the north side of Mount Etna. Randazzo itself, for example, a city rich in medieval monuments, unique in their kind because they are made of lava stone alternating with white stone. Most of them are beautiful churches, often open to welcome tourists from all over the world.

A few kilometers from Randazzo and Murazzo Rotto is the Flascio river, whose course was blocked and diverted by a lava flow which thus formed a dam and a lake, still visible today: Gurrida lake. The lake is located on private property, which however can be crossed thanks to the paths of the Regional Park of Etna. Still on this route, between pastures and hills, you will admire the streams of the Favare di Maletto.

All of these places are perfect to spend Labour Day – which in Italy is on May 1st. But in particular we point out the Sciarone Park. It is a beautiful suburban park located on the outskirts of Randazzo, therefore close to Murazzo Rotto. Formed by a grove of birch, chestnut and downy oaks that extends between the lava rocks, it includes paths and equipped areas where you can cook and eat while sitting at the table. In the park there are also play areas for children and itineraries for hiking and mountain biking.

To get to Etna…

Murazzo Rotto is also close to the volcano. Just over 30 minutes by car separate the village from the tourist center of Piano Provenzana, Etna Nord. A one-hour drive instead will lead you from Murazzo Rotto to the Monte Spagnolo Refuge and from there, with a guided excursion, you can reach the Cave Lamponi. (photos by G.Musumeci and GoogleMaps)