Nicolosi is situated at 702 m a. s. l. on Mount Etna and it is called “The Gate of Etna”, due to its strategic position between the sea and the mountain.
Nicolosi was born in the XII century and it’s tightly linked to the S. Nicolò Monastery, it has been restored and it has become the office of the “Etna Park”.
Its history has always been influenced by the volcano: we can remember the destructive eruptions of 1669 from which the “Rossi Mountain” (so called for the colour of detritus) originated and which destroyed Nicolosi and several centres and a part of Catania, before the lavas flowing into the sea. We also remember, the eruption of 1886 from which “Gemmellaro Mount” originated. In 1886 the lava stopped just three hundred meters from the town in the place where the cardinal Dusmet, the archbishop of Catania, had put on the ground the Saint Agata Veil. During the eruption of 2001, the lavas stopped four kilometres before Nicolosi.
In spite of the damager caused by the several eruptions of Etna, Nicolosi has become an important tourist centre and the right place to undertake an exciting excursion on the volcano. It is here that Etna Touring is attentive to provide an innovative and alternative tourism, proposing to visitors many services to enjoy theirs holidays at best.
How to find us
BY CAR:
From Messina o Taormina: highway A 18 ME/CT.
From Palermo: highway A 19 PA/CT.
From Siracusa: freeway
From all directions: It’s advised to go along “the ring road”, to exit Gravina di Catania and to go on to Mascalucia until Nicolosi.
BY BUS
Bus-line AST (tel. + 39 095. 7461096) leaves from Catania (railway station) at 8:15 a.m. to Nicolosi/Etna Sud-Rifugio Sapienza and returns from Etna Sud-Rifugio Sapienza at 16:30 p.m.
In the summer a second bus leaves from Nicolosi to Etna Sud-Rifugio Sapienza at 12:30 a.m.
Bus-line AST from Catania to Nicolosi every 40 minutes.
BY PLANE
Fontanarossa Airport (CT) SAC tel. +39 095.340505
BY TRAIN
Trenitalia Railway Station: piazza Giovanni XXIII (CT) tel. + 39 095.892021
Circumetnea: Catania tel. + 39 095.541250
Transfer service from and to the place expected is available on request by Etna Touring.