March 9, 2020
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A wedding next to a volcano – is it only for extreme people?
Often, future brides think something like this: “What kind of wedding can be next to an active volcano? It’s crazy to organize something in a potentially dangerous area. ” A small spoiler: Sicily, according to the largest Italian wedding site matrimonio.com, in 2018 was on the third place for wedding tourism among all other regions of Italy. So, what facts do we know about Etna from official sources, according to volcanologists and from our own experience of living on its slope ?:
? Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe. This means that even if he is now visually calm, the eruption can begin at any time.
? The nature of normal eruptions of Etna is such that you can walk from the lava flowing along the slopes on foot. This means that even if you live in Nicolosi or Linguaglossa, that is, right at the top, the probability that something hot will pour out on you from above and unexpectedly is very low:). And if you live and / or celebrate your event in Taormina, Catania, or anywhere than the craters themselves:), your destiny is to enjoy the enchanting view; half of the world comes here for it.
? Volcanic ash during eruptions, if you are not standing near the crater itself, will not do anything to you. It falls on the surrounding areas already cooled, this is a wonderful fertilizer, by the way, thanks to which everything here blooms and being harvested several times a year. You just need to drive carefully on the roads, as the ash is very slippery. Well, the airport may be closed for a couple of hours for safety reasons. In this case the landing of the flight will be moved to the nearest airport of the island (Palermo or Comiso), and tourists will be transported to Catania by the comfortable buses for free.
? An eruption can be accompanied by small earthquakes, they are of a volcanic type, that is, they are not associated with shifts of tectonic plates, and, as a rule, they are not very powerful. Some are so invisible to the public. Remember that almost the entire territory of Italy is seismically active, which does not prevent it from being a top location for destination wedding.
? Often the mt Etna seems very close in the photo, especially when photographers publish photos of eruptions, this is an optical illusion – it is actually many kilometers away.
? It is noted that the volcano Etna likes to meet her pets with a “salute”, this is an amazing event that is remembered throughout a life, filling it with a special energy.
? The locals idolize Etna, treat her / him as a living being, both professors and workers. This is the magic energy that makes the entire easter coast of Sicily a place of power.
? Many people are specifically looking for wedding locations with a beautiful view of the volcano, there are a huge number of them, from inexpensive to exclusive. Wedding photos are getting out just fabulous. And the most reckless go to the top for a unique wedding photo shoot “like on Mars” and even for a ceremony with the Martian views.
Photos used by Tatiana Costantino, Salvo Barbagallo and mine (panoramic view of Etna).
