studentsineurope

The Volcanoes of Italy

Sulfurous steam escaping from Solfatara, one of Italy's volcanoes

You probably don’t associate volcanoes with Europe. Chances are, volcanoes make you think of Hawaii or the Pacific Rim. But if you’d like to add an unusual dimension to your European student travel, I suggest putting volcanoes on your backpacking itinerary by heading to Italy. Italy has three active volcanoes that make impressive destinations.

The most famous of Italy’s volcanoes is, of course, Mt. Vesuvius. It destroyed the Roman towns of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae in 79 AD and has been periodically active ever since. One of Mt. Vesuvius’s most recent eruptions occurred during World War II, destroying four local villages and threatening American troops stationed nearby. Although Mt. Vesuvius is currently quiescent, some volcanologists claim that the smoking mountain is due for another major eruption sometime in the near future. The area around Mt. Vesuvius is extremely densely populated, so the Italian government offers financial incentives to people willing to move out of harm’s way. But don’t let the danger deter you: Mt. Vesuvius is very carefully monitored for any seismic activity, so hike up the crater with confidence and peer in.

Near Vesuvius but a little further north is Solfatara, located in the town of Pozzuoli. Solfatara is actually a dormant volcano that last erupted in the 1100’s, but the site is still a fascinating stop for the volcano enthusiast. Solfatara’s shallow volcanic crater contains pits of boiling mud and cracks in the earth that emit sulfurous steam. This steam was thought to have healing powers as far back as the Roman period and a medieval sauna is located over one particularly rich vent. The ground is too hot for plants to grow in it, so the whole crater is bare, giving it a weird, lunar appearance. Watch for bright yellow sulfur crystals forming on the rocks near the steam.

If you continue your explorations further south, you’ll find the volcano Stromboli located on a small island north of Sicily. Known as the “Lighthouse of the Mediterranean,” Stromboli erupts almost continuously, with explosions occurring hours – sometimes only minutes – apart. Most of these explosions do not include lava flows, but occasionally they do – a major eruption in 2003 included lava flows, landslides, and tsunamis that resulted in serious damage to Stromboli village.

Perhaps the most exciting of Italy’s volcanoes is Mt. Etna. Mt. Etna is located in the northeast corner of Sicily and is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Major eruptions have occurred as recently as the past few years, and the grumpy Etna frequently destroys houses, transportation infrastructure, and tourists facilities with its lava flows, which can be unusually fast-moving. Nearby villages are frequently threatened as well.

All this excitement makes Mt. Etna the perfect volcano to visit, and backpacking up to the summit is a popular tourist activity. There are facilities for hikers and tourists such as a hostel, hotels, B&B’s, restaurants, and bars offering the full range of amenities, including wireless internet. Tours are also available if you’d like your Etna experience to come with some expert geological information.