mount etna Archives

A Pidata du Diavolo, the Devil’s Footprint

Posted on 20/01/2025 by Grazia Musumeci

There is a Mount Etna that is little known to tourists, and it is the one linked to ancient legends. Because before the natural spectacle of the eruptions and even before the Christian devotional tradition, the territory of our volcano was the heart of ancient tales. Every culture has left its own and many are […]

Volcanoes and mandarins: the Holy Cribs of Etna

Posted on 23/12/2024 (23/12/2024) by Grazia Musumeci

The making of nativity scene (Holy Crib) is a very ancient tradition in Sicily. One of the classic traditions that has remained most alive, ever, even resisting the “invasion” of Santa Claus and the famous Christmas tree. Once upon a time, for Sicilians, the Holy Crib was the center of the Christmas celebration – as […]

Fire celebration on Etna: St Barbara

Posted on 02/12/2024 (20/12/2024) by Grazia Musumeci

The feast of St. Barbara is important for the Etna territory because it is linked to fire, as is the memory of another saint (connected to light) Lucia. And although the patron saint of the Catania territory, and therefore also of the volcano, is actually St Agatha, St Barbara is addressed when asking for protection […]

Etna: autumn things you can do in nature

Posted on 25/11/2024 (21/12/2024) by Grazia Musumeci

When Etna autumn enters its peak season – usually at the end of October – all the beauty of this fiery mountain explodes, even in terms of colors and scents and flavors. Autumn on Etna means rediscovering those ancient peasant and artisan traditions that allow you to create masterpieces – of taste, as well. This […]

“At the foot” of the craters: Maletto, Milo, Randazzo

Posted on 18/11/2024 (20/12/2024) by Grazia Musumeci

What is it like to live “under the crater” of a large active volcano? So scary even just to say, because it lets you imagine frightening scenarios. Lava destroying houses, fire raining from the sky, or the terrible end of Pompeii under the ash of Vesuvius. But here on Etna things are not so apocalyptic! […]