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Social events
Exploring the Soul of Etna: NANOSEA 2026 Social Programme We are delighted to be taking NANOSEA 2026 congress delegates on a social excursion to Etna Sud, slope at 1900 m (the highest point reachable by car) on Thursday afternoon, June 11th.
Photo by Andrea Mirabella, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Although it is the highest volcano in Europe (3.403 m) for the local people, Etna is simply “a muntagna” (the mountain)—a presence that protects and threatens at the same time. As we know, Sicily is a land of contradictions, and Etna is a perfect example of this. Observing its majesty from a plane tastes like home to those returning to their land, and the red of its eruptions ignites the soul of the Etnean inhabitants. At the same time, past eruptions and earthquakes have marked cycles of destruction and rebirth, shaping the resilience of its people.
Today, Etna is not only a destination for hikers and those seeking relief from the scorching heat; in fact, its black stone is repurposed for architectural and artistic fields, as well as investigated for scientific applications.
Accompanied by nature guides, we will reach Mount Pomiciaro to observe the grandeur of the Valle del Bove (~1.600 m), which represents the purest essence of Etna: a desert of black rock where the geological evolution of the volcano can be read. We will then ascend to an altitude of 1.900 m to walk along the Silvestri Craters, extinct eruptive cones that offer the unique experience of walking on the rim of a crater at nearly two thousand meters high.
Afterward, we will head further down the valley for dinner in a typical Sicilian masseria, where we will taste traditional local products accompanied by characteristic music and songs from ancient Sicilian tradition.
Note: For the excursion, we suggest dressing in layers and highly recommend bringing: a raincoat (as it can rain even in summer), sturdy shoes for walking on uneven terrain, sunscreen, and sunglasses.
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