Italian News Headlines 26-09-2023 - Cosa Nostra mafia boss, Messina Denaro, has died of colon cancer at the age of 62. He was being held in a maximum security prison after 30 years on the run. He was responsible for dozens of murders including those of anti-mafia magistrates, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino --- Giorgio Napolitano, the only Italian President to be elected twice, has died in Rome at the age of 98 --- Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, met with European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, on the Italian island of Lampedusa to discuss the European refugee crisis after more than 7,000 migrants arrived from Tunisia in a single week --- Venetian authorities vote to introduce 'ticket only' access to the city from 2024 --- A man who posted a video of himself carving his name into the wall of the Colosseum, while his girlfriend watched, has been identified as living in Britain --- Following the death of Silvio Berlusconi, on June 12th, Antonio Tajani will be appointed the new president of Forza Italia --- Silvio Berlusconi, 4 times Italian prime minister, has died at the age of 86 from complications resulting from Leukaemia --- Extreme weather in Emilia-Romagna has led to 14 dead and 35,000 displaced. There are 500 roads closed and over over 300 sites at risk of landslides --- Two new victims of the Vesuvius eruption in 79AD have been discovered during excavations in Pompei
Italian volcanoes, volcanoes in italy, volcanic activity italy, mount etna, mount vesuvius, stromboli

Volcanoes in Italy

Italy is home to three active volcanoes, all located in the south of the country. Mount Vesuvius, in Naples, is the only active volcano on mainland Europe. It is famous for the destruction of the Roman towns of Pompei and Herculaneum in 79 BC, an event described in great detail by Pliny the Younger.

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The last eruption was in 1944. Vesuvius is considered to be the most dangerous volcano in the world as it could erupt at any time, threatening the lives of the three million people who live nearby.

Stromboli is one of the Aeolian Islands, situated off the north coast of Sicily, in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is 926 metres high and has been erupting almost constantly for the last 2,000 years.

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The spectacular explosions are visible many miles out to sea, leading to the Island being nicknamed 'The Lighthouse of the Mediterranean'.

Mount Etna is located on the eastern side of Sicily, between Messina and Catania. It is in an almost constant state of activity, and is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

Italian volcanoes, volcanoes in italy, volcanic activity italy, mount etna, mount vesuvius, stromboli

At over 3,000 metres high, it is the tallest, active volcano on the European continent. It covers an area of 1,190 square kilometres, making it the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy.

What are volcanoes?

The Earth is basically composed of four layers:

The 'Crust'
The 'Mantle'
The 'Outer Core'
The 'Inner Core'

Italian volcanoes, volcanoes in italy, volcanic activity italy, mount etna, mount vesuvius, stromboli

We live on the 'Outer Crust' which over the land is between 32km to 70km thick. Beneath the 'Outer Crust' is the 'Mantle' which is the deepest layer. The 'Mantle' is extremely hot, but most of the time it stays solid as the pressure inside the Earth is so great that it cannot melt. However, when Tectonic Plates collide, as they do frequently south of Italy, in the area of the Eurasian and African Plates, one Plate is pushed under another and 'Magma' is formed, which can lead to a Volcanic Eruption.

Volcanoes are divided into three different categories according their behaviour. Firstly, volcanoes which have erupted over the last few years are defined as 'Active'.

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Italian volcanoes, volcanoes in italy, volcanic activity italy, mount etna, mount vesuvius, stromboli

More Details

Active Volcanoes in Italy
Name Height (m) Last Activity
Mount Etna 3,329 Continuous
Stromboli 926 Continuous
Mount Vesuvius 1,281 1944
Mount Etna Video
Mount Stromboli Video
Mount Vesuvius Video
Secondly, volcanoes which have erupted during the last 10,000 years, but not over the last few years, are considered 'Dormant'.

Dormant Volcanoes in Italy
Name Height (m) Last Activity
Pantelleria 836 1891
Vulcano 500 1890
Campi Flegrei 458 1538
Ischia 789 1302
Larderello 500 1282
Lipari 602 729
Vulsini 800 104 BC
Colli Albani 950 5,000 BC
Thirdly, there are extinct volcanoes, which are those that last erupted over 10,000 years ago.

Extinct Volcanoes in Italy
Name Height (m) Last Activity
Alicudi 675 26,000 BC
Sabatini 612 40,000 BC
Vulture 1326 40,000 BC
Roccamonfina 1005 50,000 BC
Pontine Islands 139 80.000 BC
Cimini 1053 90,000 BC
Vico 123 93,000 BC
Vulsini 500 164,000 BC
Amiata 1738 200,000 BC
Location of Italian volcanoes
Map of Italy
Facts & Figures
Area: 301,225 km²
Population: 60,157,214
Capital: Rome
Currency: Euro (€)
Calling code: +39
Internet TLD: .it

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