Seen from some locations on the southeast flank of Mount Etna, the two large cones of Monte Gorna (foreground) and Monte Ilice (in the distance at right) appear like twins among the many "baby volcanoes" dotting Etna's slopes. Both are actually of very similar size and both are nearly symmetrical cones truncated by large summit craters. This photograph was taken in early March 1997 from the summit of the smaller and much older Monte S. Nicolò, about 1.3 km southeast of Monte Gorna

Mamma Etna's countless children
Monte Gorna (or Monte Gurna or Monte Urna)
SE flank, 15.081871° E, 37.664573° N
summit elevation: 850 m

When travelling on the road that leads from Catania across Viagrande and Monterosso to Zafferana and on to Milo and Linguaglossa, shortly after passing the large cone of Monte Serra near Viagrande, two large green but youthful and symmetrical cones are seen sitting on the lower southeast flank of Mount Etna. The nearer of these is Monte Gorna, seemingly a photocopy of the more distant (but more recent) Monte Ilice. This cone stands about 1.5 km west of the village of Monterosso, dwarfing the much older cones of Monte S. Nicolo to the south and Monte Caterratte to the east. The youthful shape of Monte Gorna suggests a relatively recent formation, and in fact some sources attribute its birth and growth to a historically documented flank eruption in 394 BC, whose lava flow reportedly entered the sea at S. Maria la Scala after passing immediately to the north of the present-day town of Acireale. About 8.5 km to the east of Monte Gorna, the lava flow cascaded down the steep slope of the Timpa di Acireale (which is an impressive east-facing fault scarp about 100 m high) and entered into the Ionian Sea, forming a delta more than 1.5 km wide. Palaeomagnetic dating of this lava flow (and thus presumably of the formation of Monte Gorna) by Tanguy et al. (2003) suggests a more recent emplacement date, about 150-50 BC.
Monte Gorna, like its "twin" Monte Ilice about 1.8 km away, was built up on irregular terrain and thus its relative height varies from about 200 m on its east side to 90 m on its northwest side. A circular crater, 220-240 m in diameter and up to 60 m deep, lies at its summit. Lava apparently issued exclusively from vents at the base of the cone during the Monte Gorna eruption, as during many other flank eruptions of Etna that form large pyroclastic cones. A climb to the summit of the cone is rewarded by fine panoramic views across the surrounding field of pyroclastic cones on the southern and southeastern flank of Etna.
I visited and climbed Monte Gorna for the first time in early March 1997 and passed nearby on a number of other occasions. The photos on this page were taken during the first visit and in March 2004.

Left: Monte Gorna is the large cone at right in this image taken from the summit of Monte Ilice, approximately 1.6 km to the NNE. Three smaller cones can be seen in this view, Monte Caterratte (center left), Monte S. Nicolò (center), and Monte Serra (left distance) Center: in this view, taken from north, Monte Gorna is seen as a tall cone at right, with an antenna on its top, while the summit of the much smaller Monte S. Nicolò is barely visible at left Right: a broader, bulky appearance of Monte Gorna is seen from areas lying to the east. Photos taken in early March 1997

The large and deep crater of Monte Gorna is shown in the photographs at left and center, seen from its southern (left) and northern (center) rims in early March 1997. Photograph at right shows the view from the cone's summit to the south, with the symmetrical cone of Monte S. Nicolò at center right (Monte Serra is barely discernible in the haze behind it). In the foreground, at the base of the cone of Monte Gorna, a circular feature can be seen, which probably is an effusive vent active during the Monte Gorna eruption. Photo taken in early March 1997

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Copyright © Boris Behncke, "Italy's Volcanoes: The Cradle of Volcanology"