Etna, land of myth and legend. The ancient used to regard the mountain with terror and respect. they called it the name of Vulcan, god of fire, and of the Cyclops. The Arabs were so impressed by it that they described it as the "mountain of mountains", the mountain par excellence.

Etna is an international tourist resort which blends its ancient past with modern comforts and amenities. On the northern slopes the pinewoods of Linguaglossa - Plain of Provenzana, with snowfields and skiruns and skilifts, are the starting points for excursions to the crater in snow-caterpillars; on the southern side, Nicolosi - Sapienza refuge are household names to winter sports enthusiasts. A ski-lift, a funicolar and here, too, the possibility of excursions to the central crater in traked vehicles are only a part of the attractions for tourists. A trip round the mountain in the Circumetnea Railway is of interest since it passes through the picturesque countryside of the little towns scattered over the slopes of the mountain which gently fall away towards the sea.

From Etna the eye wanders far afield. Acireale, with its famous hot springs and the famous baroque, the enchanting bay of Naxos, the magic of Taormina perched on Monte Tauro, the mythical Syracuse and the splendour of the eastern coast and its sea always blue. the flora, fauna and environment of the highest active volcano in Europe, with its 3.350 metres, are a heritage of such great interest naturalistic. To protect this "sanctuary" of nature, has been instituted a Natural Park of Etna covering an area of 50.000 hectares including the territories of 18 communes: Linguaglossa, Castiglione, Randazzo, Maletto, Bronte, Adrano, Biancavilla, S. Maria di Licodia, Belpasso, Nicolosi, Pedara, Trecastagni, Zafferana, Milo, S. Alfio, Piedimonte, Mascali, Viagrande, Giarre, Ragalina.

SPRING

A phantasmagoria in which the sole performer is Nature, with its rhythms, its sounds, its fragances and its colours. It is springtime. The last of the snow gleams in the sunshine. The vast stretches of lava look like black velvet carpets. The mist of the woods is already thinning to disclose landscapes stretching as far as the eye can see. Lower down the slopes the magma of ancient eruptions has now become fertile soil and the wine-yards and flourishing citrus orchards are scented with blossom and golden broom.

SUMMER

The warm wind of summer caresses the carved lava and the fanciful architecture of the volcano, mute witnesses of a thousand metamorphoses. Etna spends the summer in a magic all of its own and astonishes one even as much as the stupendous sight of its snow-rimmed craters. Its the ideal season for excursions: to the pinewood of Linguaglossa or, higher up, to where one finds a desert of lava, a deep blue sky and the biting cold of high altitudes. With the sea of Acireale, Taormina and Giardini Naxos at only thirty minutes drive, Tourism sea.mountain: unique in Europe.

AUTUMN

The mountain is draped in the dimmer but still entrancing colours of the fall. The wiews of the landscape of woods and shadows are splendid, with russet carpets of leaves and a sky sometimes dense with clouds, harbingers of the approaching winter. One almost seems to hear the breathing of the trees in the silence which enwraps the mountain. Autumn on Etna, emotions stir in the breasts of men as they gaze on this ancient, but ever renewed vision. Excursions to the Lunguaglossa pinewood, in the centre of the Park of Etna.

WINTER

In winter Etna shines with light. The dazzling white of the ski-runs is its colour, its atmosphere. Etna in winter above all means sport. Modern ski-lifts, fast and easy runs, ski schools and convenient roads of access are the imprints of man of this enchanting scenario. It is impossible to escape the fascination of the snow-clad mountain and it is a joy to keep the annual appointment with the snow in the most popular winter sports resort in sicily. Alpine and northern ski from Chritstmas to Easter: ski-lift systems beginnig from 1800 to 2350 mt altitude.

THE SEASON OF FIRE

The sight of the active volcano has always enthralled mankind. Homer, Diodorus Siculus,Thucydides, and Virgil have left us fantastic accounts of its which verge on myth and legend. The volcano in eruption is a grandiose and fascinating sight. Incredible fountains of fire and fantastically changing shapes against a background of indescribable beauty present a spectable which no firework display has ever been able to equal. At the central office of Linguaglossa's Pro Loco, show of Etna's stones.