The orchards of Etna

The orchards of Etna
Nel verde
Magazine: April 2008

A magnifi cent giant whose feet touch the sea. For all Sicilians this is Mt. Etna. On its imposing slopes chestnuts alternate with bushes of Spanish broom. Moving upwards, the lark woods give way to beech wood. Higher still, slim birches remind us of the Artic tundra. Above 2400 m., slopes of ash and lapillus. On Etna, landscape and history, vegetation and cultivation meld as always in an indissoluble link. Low walls of lava stone enclose orchards and orange groves. Carob and fi gs, pistachio and vines make the hard but fertile soil amiable. Higher up, the apple orchards, fruit of the tenacity of the Catanese cultivators: “muntagnese”, “cirino”, “ruggia”, “lapione” are the varieties of apple cultivated in the Etna orchards. Peeking down between the fruit trees one can catch a glimpse of the deep, blue sea.