The Valle del Bove or Valley of the Oxen is a lava valley on Mount Etna’s eastern flank. Note the distinct difference between the green treeline on the left and the black lava flow on the right. Seeing this illustrates the definitive force of lava pretty clearly. The Valley is one of Etna’s most rugged…
Tag: lava flow
Don’t Mess With Etna
On March 8, 1669, Etna began erupting. The citizens of Catania thought they could challenge the volcano. Unfortunately, they were wrong. The population of the city watched from the shores of the Ionian Sea as towns north and west of them were destroyed. Thinking their city walls would be a match Mother Nature’s wrath, they…
After 1669, Landlocked
Remember a couple of weeks ago when I talked about Etna’s eruption in 1669 and how the citizens of Catania didn’t evacuate, which led to thousands of citizens perishing? Well, another casualty of Etna’s wrath during that eruption was Castello Ursino, pictured. Commissioned by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in 1239 and surrounded by a…