One of Italy’s three active volcanoes, Mount Etna has the longest recorded history of eruptions, dating back to the 5th century B.C.E. Its snow-covered peak was at one time covered with fir and pine forests, though today it’s rocky with sparse vegetation. Dominating the Strait of Messina, Mount Etna sits in a national park that supports a variety of animal life—foxes, martens, weasels and mice as well as the raptors that prey on the smaller rodents.
