The spectacular history of the highest volcano in Europe began approximately 600,000 years ago in a large gulf 40 km wide in the Ionian Sea along the Eastern side of Sicily.  The volcanic activity was submerged until numerous eruptive centres were created on the surface.

The most important of these centres is called Mount Calanna and is found close to Zaffferana. Eighty thousands years ago two other centres (Trifoglietto I and Trifoglietto II) in the same area violently erupted and produced an enormous quantity of lava which over the next 20,000 years completely filled the entire gulf with lava.
The intense activity finished when the two volcanoes collapsed due to the decline of the magma pressure and an extraordinary large valley was formed stretching 5 km wide named Valle del Bove.
ust 34,000 years ago the activity began in the crater that is visible today known as Etna or Mongibello; its eruptions were subsequently responsible for completely filling up the original gulf and forming the Sicilian coast that is so admired today. .

Aci Trezza (called a Trizza in Sicilian) and Aci Castello, 5 / 8 mile from Catania, fishing villages, famous for their scenery and ancient maritime traditions. The view of Aci Trezza is dominated by the stacks of the Cyclops:
eight picturesque basaltic rocks, according to legend, were dropped from Polyphemus to Ulysses during his flight. Not far from the coast (about 400 m away), there is 's Island Lachea identified with the 'Homeric Goat Island and which now houses the seat of a station biology studies ' s University of Catania. Castle Acicastello that looms over the sea, overlooking the old town.

Catania was founded by Greek colonizers in 729 BC and named Katane. Due to the significance of the Mediterranean as a trading route during this period, and Catania's strategic position, it became a bustling commercial port.

The city has been destroyed several times by the ferocity of Etna's eruptions and subsequent lava flows. There are a number of buildings that represent the earliest period in Catania's history: the theatre, being the oldest, has been remodelled several times by the Romans; there is the Odeon, the Roman Forum, thermal baths and a Roman and Greek Necropolis but the most important is the amphitheatre second only to the Roman Coliseum.  Among its more recent historical architecture there is the Castello Ursino built by Federico II of Svevia.

Taormina, with its splendid position, is the flagship of one of the most beautiful coasts of the Sicily. Set on a rocky plateau up to 200 meters over the sea, Taormina appears like one terrace over a bay, protected from close Etna volcano. The mediterranean climate, the beauties of landscapes, the cultural events and the typical people friendliness have made Taormina famous all over the world.

The city offers to the visitors the valid cultural, historical, social and folkloristic cues, all of them really interesting. The tourist has only to choose: he can carry out an historicocultural turn of the city in order to admire of the cultural assets like the St. Nicolò cathedral, several churches, its buildings and the famous Greek Theatre.

Taormina is valued from the rich vegetation and characterized by naturalistic sites like the Bay of Mazzarò delimited from Sant'Andrea cape, the Isola bella and the luxuriant vegetation well represented by the Garden of the Communal Villa.