There lies a harbour, safe from the winds’ approach and spacious in itself, but near at hand Aetna thunders with terrifying crashes, and now hurls forth to the sky a black cloud, smoking with pitch-black eddy and glowing ashes, and uplifts balls of flame and licks the stars – now violently vomits forth rocks, the mountain’s top uptorn entrails, and whirls molten stone skyward with a roar, and boils up from its lowest depths.
Mount Etna:
Eternal Inspiration for Writers Across the Ages
So powerful and proud, Mount Etna has stood as a timeless muse for artists, intellectuals, and writers since ancient times. Rising majestically as the highest volcano in Europe, Etna is an irreplaceable symbol of the Sicilian city of Catania. Over the centuries, it has been immortalized in countless literary works, myths, and legends, its fiery heart igniting the imaginations of those who sought to understand its mysteries or capture its grandeur.
Greek Writers:
Virgil, Homer and Others
The Greeks, who revered the natural world as an arena of divine power, found Mount Etna to be a source of fascination and reverence. The philosopher Empedocles, a figure as enigmatic as the volcano itself, is said to have met his end by leaping into the crater, driven by an unrelenting curiosity to observe the volcanic phenomena up close. His story, half-myth and half-truth, became a metaphor for the boundless human hunger for knowledge, even at great peril.
Greek mythology also entwines itself with Etna, painting the volcano as a realm of gods and monsters. The wine produced from Etna’s fertile slopes was said to be a favorite of Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry. And in Homer’s great epic, The Odyssey, the Faraglioni rocks of Aci Trezza—towering volcanic formations—are described as the very stones hurled by the Cyclops Polyphemus in his rage against Odysseus. These myths, woven into the cultural fabric of the region, continue to lend Etna an aura of supernatural majesty.
Roman Poets and the Roar of the Volcano
The Romans, inheritors of Greek cultural traditions, also looked to Etna for inspiration. In Virgil’s Aeneid, the volcano is rendered in vivid, almost apocalyptic imagery.
Virgil’s poetic mastery captures not only the physical power of Etna but also its metaphorical resonance as a force of destruction and renewal, embodying the capricious power of nature itself.
The Renaissance: Pietro Bembo’s Latin Tribute
In the Renaissance era, Etna became an object of scientific inquiry and poetic reflection. Pietro Bembo, the Venetian humanist and scholar, climbed to the summit of the volcano and documented his journey in his Latin work De Aetna. Bembo’s narrative is not merely a travelogue but a richly detailed exploration of his personal experience atop the volcano. He wrote the work at the urging of friends and relatives, whose curiosity about Etna was so intense that Bembo felt compelled to create a written record of his observations. His account, infused with awe and intellectual rigor, stands as one of the earliest literary tributes to Etna from the Renaissance period.
The Enlightenment and the Grand Tour
During the Enlightenment and the era of the Grand Tour, Etna became a must-visit destination for European intellectuals and artists. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, leader of the Sturm und Drang movement and one of history’s most celebrated writers, was captivated by Etna during his travels through Italy. In his Italian Journey (1816), adapted from his personal diary, Goethe provides a meticulous account of his ascent of the volcano, describing the Monti Rossi, ancient lava flows, and the village of Nicolosi.
Without Sicily, Italy creates no image in the soul: here is the key to everything.
Goethe’s admiration for Sicily, and particularly for Etna, was profound. His famous quotation reflects the impact of the Sicilian landscape on his artistic sensibilities, with Etna as its crowning jewel.
Modern Writers and Pasolini’s Etna
In the modern era, Mount Etna continued to inspire creativity, becoming a muse for the great Italian poet, writer, and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini. Pasolini set four of his films—Il Vangelo secondo Matteo, Porcile, Teorema, and I Racconti di Canterbury—against the dramatic backdrop of Etna’s slopes. For Pasolini, the volcano was more than a location; it was a deeply personal refuge, a place where he sought peace and introspection.
Pasolini’s connection to Etna transcended artistic inspiration. Photographs and autobiographical writings reveal his emotional bond with the volcano, which he regarded as a sanctuary away from the chaos of urban life. Just as the protagonists of his films often sought solace in nature, so too did Pasolini find a profound sense of renewal in the shadow of Etna.
Etna: A Timeless Muse
From the ancient Greeks to modern filmmakers, Mount Etna has remained an enduring symbol of power, beauty, and mystery. Its fiery eruptions, fertile soils, and towering presence have inspired myths, poetry, philosophy, and art for millennia. Today, it continues to cast its spell, drawing tourists and travelers who seek to experience its majesty firsthand.
Whether you wish to explore its rugged trails, marvel at its ancient lava flows, or savor the wines produced from its volcanic soils, Etna offers an experience that resonates with the timeless allure that captivated Empedocles, Virgil, Goethe, and Pasolini. This volcano is not merely a natural wonder—it is a living testament to God’s creation itself.
