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the lava fields of the latest eruptions on the northern slope . As you go up , the pines become increasingly sparse and the landscape becomes lunar . The Piano Provenzana ski resort was entirely rebuilt after the violent eruption of 2002 even if there was no trace of snow , we walked the final part of the road . The big red bench of the Big Bench Community Project allows the wary to observe the snowcapped peak which contrasts with the lava ash that covered everything around us .
We reached the summit crater walking from the end of the cable car in the last fallen snow and looked out over the Bove valley , the great depression formed by the collapse of a cone thousands of years ago .
The SS284 runs along the western side touching the vineyards where the Etna DOC is produced which , in the three proposed varieties , has become over the years one of the outstanding elements of the island ' s enology . Pistachio trees remind us that we are close to Bronte where the production of the renowned green fruit , which became DOP in 2009 , is another of the area ' s agricultural excellences .
Catania welcomed us with chaotic traffic and avenues so full of life . The young soul of Sicily boasts a historic centre protected by UNESCO and a history that began more than 2700 years ago . Katàne was in fact founded by the Chalcis people in 729 BC before becoming one of the most important centres in the region under the Roman , Byzantine , Saracen and Norman dominations . Its history is inextricably linked to the giant that towers over it and is clearly visible from Via Etnea . In 1669 the lava engulfed it and it was precisely on the ashes of that event that the city we admire today was born .
The volcanic lava stones were used to build the wonderful palaces and churches , such as the monumental complex of the Benedictine monastery or the cathedral which dominates the square of the same name , the beating heart of the city . Behind this , in fact , is the Pescheria which , more than a fish market , appeared to us as a real street theatre where the colours of the fish on display are narrated to the spectators in great detail . Encouraged by so much entertainment , we found ourselves wandering around the stalls with bags full of every product of the sea , often without any margin of negotiation on the quantity purchased . Nevermind , they will be the basis of our tasty dinners .
In the pastry shops we discovered the link between the sacred and the profane that binds the patron saint Sant ' Agata to the local confectionery production . The ' Minne di Sant ' Agata ' are small cassata surmounted by a candied cherry that reminds the eater of the breast cut from the saint
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