Damage and Destruction
Due to its fertility, the region around Mount Etna has always been an area for settlement. Despite the constant eruptions, people have repeatedly dared to colonize the area around the fire mountain. The first recorded eruption of Mount Etna in 1500 BC dispersed the Sicans from the Sicilian east coast. In Greek mythology, the workshop of the blacksmith god Hephaestus is located in Mount Etna. Its legendary and mythical stature, however, was matched by its destructiveness. 150 huge eruptions have been recorded since ancient times, which brought death and destruction for the surrounding towns and settlements. The last catastrophic eruption was in 1669, when Catania was completely destroyed.
Even between the major eruptions, Mount Etna spits fire, ash and smoke several times a year and has therefore become one of the biggest tourist attractions in Sicily. Every day many tourists tour on foot, by car or cable car up the fire mountain and thousands of tourists enjoy the crater scenery and the columns of smoke. Even a small ski area can be found on Etna. Nevertheless, Etna poses a hazard not only to humans but nature as well - 25 million tons of carbon dioxide escape into the atmosphere annually, making Etna one of the biggest polluters on earth.
Due to its fertility, the region around Mount Etna has always been an area for settlement. Despite the constant eruptions, people have repeatedly dared to colonize the area around the fire mountain. The first recorded eruption of Mount Etna in 1500 BC dispersed the Sicans from the Sicilian east coast. In Greek mythology, the workshop of the blacksmith god Hephaestus is located in Mount Etna. Its legendary and mythical stature, however, was matched by its destructiveness. 150 huge eruptions have been recorded since ancient times, which brought death and destruction for the surrounding towns and settlements. The last catastrophic eruption was in 1669, when Catania was completely destroyed.
Even between the major eruptions, Mount Etna spits fire, ash and smoke several times a year and has therefore become one of the biggest tourist attractions in Sicily. Every day many tourists tour on foot, by car or cable car up the fire mountain and thousands of tourists enjoy the crater scenery and the columns of smoke. Even a small ski area can be found on Etna. Nevertheless, Etna poses a hazard not only to humans but nature as well - 25 million tons of carbon dioxide escape into the atmosphere annually, making Etna one of the biggest polluters on earth.