I Vulcani d’Italia: The Volcanoes of Italy
Italy has nearly 40 volcanoes, and 13 come from the Holocene Epoch, only three of which are considered active (source). These three are Mount Vesuvius, Stromboli, and Mount Etna. All three of these volcanoes are called stratovolcanoes, which are the most dangerous kind. A Stratovolcano is dangerous because of its potential for an explosive eruption.
A map of the magmatic provinces, including active and quiet volcanoes.
This map also shows two other active volcanoes: Vulcano and Campi Flegrei. Their last eruptions were 1890 and 1538, respectively (source).
Mount Vesuvius is located in the Italian Peninsula Volcanic Provinces and is very famous. Its eruption in 79 AD killed thousands and buried the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under ash and mud, which remained that way until the 18th Century (source).
Image credit: https://seepompeii.com/en/mount-vesuvius/
Stromboli is located in the Aeolian Volcanic Arc and is called the “Lighthouse of the Mediterranean” due to its consistent mild explosive activity. Its last activity was 17-23 of February (last week!) (source). It has active vents.
Image credit: https://www.italia.it/en/sicily/messina/stromboli-island
Activity is also currently being observed at Mount Etna, which is in Sicily and in the Sicily Volcanic Province. It is the highest volcano in Italy (3,357 m) and has some calderas and a couple of craters. What I find interesting is that this stratovolcano was constructed over a shield volcano (source). A new degassing crater was identified today (source).
Image credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Etna
Here is an article from earlier today about the ridiculousness that mountain rescuers are currently dealing with on Mount Etna: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/28/etna-eruptions-cause-despair-among-mountain-rescuers
I found this great graphic too:
(Source)
Italy does several things to mitigate volcanic activity and destruction through the Dipartimento Protezione Civile which is part of the Italian government. Their website tells us they do the following (source):
For Prevision (Forecast)
Constantly monitoring the characteristics of the volcano by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
Detect anomalies and communicate immediately
Compare current activity with historical data and consult scientific experts
For Alert
The alert levels are determined by the department, and the colors are green, yellow, orange, and red. These colors correspond to the possible change in state of the volcano towards an issue of national importance. Mount Vesuvius and Campi Flegrei fall into this category. Mount Etna, Stromboli, and the island of Vulcano have more local effects. They note that because volcanic activity can be unpredictable, the progression of levels could vary.
For Emergency Planning
The national and territorial emergency plans are specific to each volcano. They include planning on how to inform the population, how to educate, and urban planning to reduce the vulnerability of construction.
Here is an interactive map of the volcanic and earthquake activity:
Website: https://www.volcanoesandearthquakes.com/map/Italy
Thanks for reading!
This was very informative, I didn't know Italy had that many volcanoes let alone any that were recently active. I also didn't know that Mount Vesuvius was still active I thought it was extinct.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Italy’s volcanoes, especially Vesuvius, Etna, and Stromboli, are all fascinating and dangerous, with their recent activity showing how active they still are, even with their long history of seismic activity and events. It’s good to see that Italy has a solid system for monitoring and emergency planning. The interactive map and the article about Etna’s rescues really show why staying informed is so important—thanks for sharing!
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