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Mount Etna is Europe's largest active volcano, and on a
clear morning you can see the smoke pouring out of its summit. Etna
eruptions have been responsible for destroying the surrounding towns, whose
citizenry dutifully rebuilds and flourishes until the next dousing. In
exchange, the volcano provides lava for building materials, and Sicily's
agriculture enjoys the resulting rich soil. The day we visited Etna was
cool and windy, and the funicular ride to higher elevations was simply
closed down. We took a Jeep instead, and watched the tram cars swinging
about, happy that we weren't aboard. |
| Riposto was our first stop in Sicily, a town
so unassuming that it didn't show up in either of our two guidebooks. But
it's the beginning point for the train that circumnavigates Mount Etna, and
it's a great place to see locals spending their August vacation in their own
town and in their own way. Many nights, the courtyard in front of Saint
Peter's Church was filled with spectators on folding chairs watching any of
a flurry of summer entertainment: comedy, dance, or music. It's also a good
starting point for day trips to Mount Etna or nearby Taormina. |
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Taormina, unlike Riposto, is a vacationer magnet, drawing
beachgoers and excursions from cruise ships. The town sits atop a mountain
ridge, accessible from sea level by traversing a zigzagging road alongside
huge stone villas protected by huge stone walls softened by bougainvillea
and other foliage.
Like a person who is famous for being famous, Taormina doesn't have
exceptional historical significance. There are Greek ruins and many
medieval and later buildings in Taormina, but that's not uncommon in the
region. The lovely old buildings are filled with shops and cafés, and
there's a funicular that takes you to the beaches below. |
| Catania experienced one of Mount Etna's worst
eruptions in 1669 and was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1693. The
rebuilding from that earthquake covered the town in exquisite baroque
architecture made from lava and limestone. Here in the main square, Piazza
Duomo, are the Cathedral (dedicated to the city's patron saint, Sant'Agata)
and Catania's symbol, the elephant with an obelisk on its back. The
elephant, of course, is in lava, and the obelisk was brought from Egypt. So
famous was this monument that the Arabs referred to Catania as "the city of
the elephant." Napoleon, too, was fond of the elephant coupled with an
obelisk and incorporated the concept into several Paris buildings. |
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