Text taken from the section Restart by Andrea Bariselli on DOVE from September 2024
I knew it was going to happen again because the bees were wandering strangely around the park, they seemed agitated by something. They sensed it. And then there was the eruption that night.” I listen to this story with my eyes fixed on the Mount Etna smoker. Ironically, I find myself in the middle of an eruption Zafferana Etnealast bastion of civilization before the summit of the volcano.
There is a sulphurous smell in the air and on the ground one can hear the sound of shoes crunching on the lava ash, at least five centimetres high. Several times, tremors and roars are heard. While every time I look up, I see a constant column of smoke. I wonder what could happen at any moment. Finding myself a few hundred metres from the crater, I can't help but think of him. Or rather of her, “Idda”, as the mountain is called.
Standing on the 1992 lava flow
Going back up to the village, there are signs that lead to the 1992 lava flow. You can walk on the lava residue, admiring the power of nature and the rebirth of life on the ashes of the volcano. The lava flow is impressive in length and width, reaching just a few meters from the houses of Zafferana.
At the exact spot where it stopped, a votive stele dedicated to the Madonna della Provvidenza, patron saint of the city, was erected as a token of thanks for having escaped danger. I remember this event well, television channels all over the world spoke about it in catastrophic terms. The reality is that nature demonstrates all its power and beauty according to certain balances, while man is still unable to control his invasive momentum.
Between stones and ancient stories, facing the power of Nature
After a few hours next to the mountain, something inside me moves: I clearly realize that the mountain is alive and I would like to discover it. We are in the Etna Parka protected natural area and an ideal starting point for climbing up to the craters. Two routes are particularly well-known: one leads to the Citelli refuge at an altitude of 1,740 metres; the other goes to the Bové Valleya huge lava container with very steep walls, in which the eruptions seem to flow like rivers into a lake, a primordial and powerful spectacle.
Exploring these paths, I realize how Etna is a force of nature that inspires our admiration. Each stone tells stories of ancient eruptions and rebirths. The elders still remember the stories of their ancestors, in the shadow of this giant. The houses, streets and fields bear the traces of past lava flows, but also of the extraordinary resistance of a people who have learned to live with the volcano.
The language of the volcano, between fear and veneration
The people of Etna have a complex relationship with the mountain, based on respect, fear, affection, but above all veneration. Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and its eruptions can be dangerous and destructive. The local population is aware of the risks, even if the fear is mitigated by a alert system well developed.
At the same time, many locals consider it a symbol of their land and their people. cultural identity: Etna is often venerated as a sort of local deity, which despite its destructive energy, also offers benefits such as soil fertility, particularly rich in minerals thanks to volcanic ash.
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Silence before chaos, a lesson in resilience
There is an ancient wisdom in the words of the people of Zafferana. They tell me how, during eruptions, there is a kind of apparent calm, a calm that precedes chaos. This calm, they explain, is the mountain's way of warning those who live at its feet. It is a silent language, made of small signs that only those who have learned to observe can understand.
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With amazement and magic I understand that Etna represents life and not death. The tremors now seem to be the heartbeats of the
ground beneath my feet. Every step on its slopes is a silent dialogue with nature, a call to respect and understand the forces that govern our world. This mountain is not just a volcano; it is a symbol of resilience and rebirth, a living and pulsating part of this incredible and unique land that lies there Sicily.
Discover the entire special program “The world according to Andrea Bariselli”
