An early vulcanologist. Notice on the Philosopher’s Tower Refuge (Rifugio Torre del Filosofo), buried in cold lava streams (sciare), 2,900 metres above sea level on Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy. Named in honour of Empedocles (c. 492 BC - c. 430 BC), a Greek philosopher from Agrigento who, according to legend, climbed Etna to study its eruptions and threw himself into the mouth of the volcano to discover its secrets.
Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy: notice on the Philosopher’s Tower Refuge (Rifugio Torre del Filosofo). The “Rifugio Torre del Filosofo” is located at an altitude of 2,900 metres above sea level on the slopes of Mount Etna’s central crater. Previously in this area were ancient ruins called “House of the Philosopher" in memory of a Greek philosopher from Agrigento, Empedocles (c. 492 BC - c. 430 BC), who climbed Etna to study its eruptive phenomena. According to legend, the philosopher died by throwing himself headlong into the mouth of the volcano to discover the secret of its eruptive activity. However, it is not clear whether those ancient ruins really had anything to do with Empedocles or whether they were a Roman temple or something else entirely. In honour of Empedocles, a small stone building similar to a tower was erected to protect the ruins and this became the “Tower of the Philosopher”. The tower, in its turn, became a ruin over time, buried under debris from volcanic eruptions. In 1960 the town of Nicolosi decided to build a tower in this location. But the area was too close to the mouth of the volcano. Eruptions between 2002 and 2003 covered it completely. At around 3,326 m (10,900 ft), Etna is Western Europe’s highest active volcano. Activity began around 500,000 years ago. Since 2000, there have been four eruptions through flank vents (in 2001, 2002 - 2003, 2004 - 2005 and 2008 - 2009), as well as summit eruptions in 2006, 2007 - 2008, 2012, 2018 and 2021. The Parco dell’Etna regional authority safeguards 60,000 hectares of land above 800m (2,624 ft), extending from the summit down to surrounding towns and villages.
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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