Zafferana Etnea is “the Gateway to Etna”. This town of just over 9,000 inhabitants, located 600 meters above sea level on the eastern slopes of the volcano, is in fact the starting point for almost all excursions to Mount Etna. And it is also the place from which you can admire the most spectacular eruptions. Home to orchards and vineyards repeatedly torn away from the fire of the lava, Zafferana owes its Arabic name (Safràn, meaning “yellow”) to the many brooms that give this colour to its countrysides, when they are in bloom. But according to other studies, the name derives from the processing of the yellow spice saffron, produced here in large quantities thanks to the presence of the precious flowers from which it is extracted.

History of Zafferana, Gateway to Etna

Zafferana Etnea did not exist, as a city, until the 19th century. In fact, among the vines, chestnut trees and ancient lava flows, only an ancient Roman road passed back in ages. It internally connected Taormina with Lentini, also passing through Catania. Only in the Middle Ages some monks found refuge in these woods and the Priory of San Giacomo (St James) was the first building to be built (1387) in the district now known as Valle San Giacomo.

A small community arose around the monastery, mostly dedicated to agriculture and trade, useful for supplying the monks with necessary goods. However, these were seasonal communities, passing through, who never found residence here until after the great earthquake of 1693. After the destruction, which razed the monastery to the ground, the surrounding lands were exploited for agricultural use, becoming orchards and vineyards. It was the landowners, therefore, who built their own houses on the site. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the first nucleus of the town was formed, which in 1826 became an independent municipality.

Zafferana: land of nobles and farmers

Between 1826 and 1940, Zafferana Etnea became a favorite destination for many wealthy families. Often they were noble gentlemen who had lands in the area, or even just rich people who chose the place as a “holiday resort”, therefore having their summer homes built. Around this wealthy community, a middle-class community of farmers, merchants and professionals later formed. Zafferana built its fortune around tourism and agricultural production. Especially when Etna became an international phenomenon.

Zafferana and Etna

Zafferana and Etna… or rather Zafferana IS Etna. Since newspapers and radio, first, and then TV and the internet spread the news of Etna’s eruptive spectacles around the world, Zafferana has become the base for many tourists who want to admire the volcano up close.

Restaurants, hotels, B&Bs and farming-tourism houses are now the heart of the town’s economy, together with the production of wine and honey. The bees of Zafferana are a guarantee of quality, for the genuine honey product with a thousand flavours and many benefits, on sale everywhere in the town’s shops. From the main square of Zafferana Etnea, but also from the gardens with the monumental fountain below, you can comfortably watch the most spectacular eruptions… when the columns of lava seem to touch the twin bell towers of the main church!

Obviously the relationship with the volcano is not that easy. Zafferana has “paid bad” for this proximity to Mount Etna. It has suffered and often suffers damage from local earthquakes and has been threatened very closely by those rare – but terrible! – anomalous lateral eruptions, which occasionally open up on the body of the mountain. In particular, in 1792, 1852 and 1992 the lava got just a few metres from the town, swallowing up fields, vineyards and some small houses on the outskirts. Not to mention the drama of the ash fallout, often over a 1-metre high, in the streets. However, Zafferana always remains closely tied to the volcano that gives it life. It couldn’t be otherwise!

What to see in town

In Zafferana, the many Art Nuveau style villas that dot the small historic centre are definitely worth admiring. They are evidence of the ancient wealth and, today, of the beauty of its art. The most important churches are the main church, dedicated to the Madonna della Provvidenza, and the small church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The altars dedicated to the Virgin Mary are equally important because they usually recall the danger escaped (for example, the Votive Altar to Madonna della Provvidenza, built in front of the lava of 1992 right where it stopped!).

The elegant Town Hall Palace and the Town Park, not far away, are also places to visit for those who love art (splendid paintings kept in the first) and relaxation in the open air, along the shady paths. The park also houses interesting architecture, such as the Palazzina Liberty that today houses the library and the modern Amphitheater, very active for summer shows.

Among the monuments of Zafferana you can also count the lava of 1992 that stopped a few steps from the center and the monumental oak tree Ilice di Carrinu, located on a nature trail that starts from the outskirts. In the hamlet of Pisano you can admire the monumental complex of Cisternazza. The seventeenth-century ruins of the Priory of San Giacomo are still there today, along the road that climbs towards the Valley of San Giacomo and the lava of 1992.

How to get there

To reach Zafferana by car: from Catania (36.5 km) take the Provincial SP8 and then the SP92 for about an hour; from Messina, motorway A18 with exit Giarre and continue on Provincial SP4; from Palermo, motorway A19 entering the ring road near Catania and then take the direction Messina and exit at Paesi Etnei.

The nearest airport is Catania (CTA) – click HERE, from which Zafferana is 42 km away (about an hour and twenty minutes by car), via the ring road with exit Paesi Etnei (continue towards Viagrande, Lavinaio, Zafferana). PHOTOS BY G. MUSUMECI