Parco dell'Etna

The Protected Area

Identity Card

• Land Area (ha): 58.095,00
• Regions: Sicilia
• Provinces: Catania
• Towns: Adrano, Belpasso, Biancavilla, Bronte, Castiglione di Sicilia, Giarre, Linguaglossa, Maletto, Mascali, Milo, Nicolosi, Pedara, Piedimonte Etneo, Ragalna, Randazzo, Sant'Alfio, Santa Maria di Licodia, Trecastagni, Viagrande, Zafferana Etnea
• Establishing measures: DPRS 37 17/03/1987
• PA Official list: EUAP0227

Etna Park

Etna Park was the first Park established in Sicily in March 1987. And not by chance. As a matter of fact, Etna is not only the highest active volcano in Europe, but also a mountain with recent lava flows where no form of life has settled yet and very ancient lava flows housing natural fomations of Austrian pines, beech trees, and birches.
To protect this unique and extraordinary landscape marked by the presence of man, Etna Park has been divided into four areas.
In the "A" area, 19,000 ha that are almost all public property, there are no human settlements. It is the area of the big uncontaminated spaces, the realm of big birds of prey like the Golden Eagle.
The "B" area, 26,000 ha, is partly formed by small private agricultural lots and is characterized by wonderful examples of rural houses, shelters for animals, palm groves, and noble houses witnessing the ancient and current human presence. Besides the "A" and "B" Park areas, there is a pre-Park area in the "C" and "D" areas: 14,000 ha, to guarantee the presence of eventual tourist facilities in the respect of the safeguard of landscape and nature.

Geology

On the Ionian slope of Sicily, the huge gulf extending between Peloritani and Iblei mountains was filled in by the first underwater eruptions forming Etna and, partly, by the alluvial deposits accumulated by the river Simeto. This contributed to the formation of the current Plain of Catania.
In this gulf, about half million years ago, the first eruptions took place: evidences of these eruptions are preserved in the area of Aci Castello, Aci Trezza, and Ficarazzi. Etna, with its lithological border of 250 km and a surface area of about 1,260 square km, is the largest European volcano. Its height, at the summit craters, reaches 3,350m; however, such height can vary, because the explosive action is not always a "constructive" action, but is can also be a "destructive" action, with collapses of the crater border walls.
In the east, the volcano is characterized by the deep depression of Valle del Bove: a big cut of about 7 km for 5 km, with 1,000m high walls, probably originating from the collapse of parts of ancient volcanic formations because of explosive eruptions. Most of the Etna lava flows are formed by blocks and fragments of scoriae with harsh and irregular surface (aa lava); in other cases, more rare, the lava has a more regular surface, often curly, forming masses of wrapped ropes and slabs (phaoehoe lava). In the latter, systems of lava flows held in cooled lava coverings frequently form during the final period of the activity which is extremely variable: from a few hours to several months and even years. The length, flow, and size of the lava flows mainly depend on the duration and flow of the eruption, but also on other factors linked to the morphology of the soil on which they flow.

Fauna

About one century and a half ago, Galvagni, describing the wildlife of Etna, talked about the presence of animals which nowadays have almost disappeared such as wolves, wild boars, fallow deer, and deer. The opening of new roads, deforestation, and hunting activities contributed to the extinction of these big mammals and continue to threaten the life of other species. In spite of this, porcupines, foxes, wild cats, martens, rabbits, and hares can be seen on the volcano together with weasels, hedgehogs, dormice, and several species of mice and bats.
In the area, many bird species live. In particular, birds of prey which witness the existence of large uncontaminated sites. Among the diurnal birds of prey, there are sparrow-hawks, buzzards, kestrels, peregrines, and the golden eagle. The nocturnal birds of prey include the barn owl, the scops owl, the tawny owl, and the long-eared owl. Herons, ducks, and other aquatic birds can be observed in Gurrida Lake, the one and only stretch of water in the mountain area of Etna.
In the woodlands, it is possible to sight jays, rock pigeons, and the rock partridge, as well as many song birds like the warbler, the tit, the cuckoo, and many others. In the upper areas, around the lava fields, the wheatear will surprise you with its rapid and irregular flying style. Among the various snake species populating the woodland with green lizards and lizards, the most dangerous snake is the viper, whose presence has increased in recent years because of a decrease in its predators. The world of insects is also worth a mention: butterflies, grasshoppers, crickets, locusts, bees, etc. with their essential role in the ecological balance.

Vegetation

The vegetation of Etna Park is characterized by a series of factors, first of all the volcanic nature of the mountain. The Park flora is extremely rich and varied, and shapes the landscape with its continuous changes. This depends on the compactness of the soil and the continous changes in the substrate due to different lava flows, as well as on the variability of the temperature and rainfall in relation to altitude and slopes. In the lower areas, once characterized by holm oak forests, there are vineyards, hazelnut tree groves, oak forests, apple and chestnut tree orchards. At 2,000m asl or even higher, it is possible to find the beech tree, reaching in Sicily its southernmost distribution limit, and the birch, considered by most of the authors an endemic species.
Beyond the woodlands, the landscape changes and gives way to astragalus formations offering shelter to other mountain plants, like senecio, violets, and cerastium. Beyond the limit of astragalus, between 2,450 and 3,000m asl, there are a very few elements able to survive in the harsh environmental conditions of Mt. Etna. Beyond this level and up to the summit, no vegetable species can survive.