Difficult to see that there are actually three distinct, though closely spaced, cones in this photograph, which is a view toward the Tre Monti ("three mountains") from west, taken in early July 2003. Of the largest and northern cone of this peculiar cluster, only the northern portion can be seen at left, covered by dark vegetation, immediately behind the terraced slope (with a light green color), which is the northern portion of the western cone. Dark green trees are seen on the west side of that cone, which has a remarkably flat crater rim. Further to the right, with a single small tree on its rim, lies the crater of the third, smallest and southeastern cone of the Tre Monti

Mamma Etna's countless children
Tre Monti
SE flank, 15.065938° E, 37.636166° N (north cone);
15.062612° E, 37.634960° N (west cone); 15.066712° E, 37.632614° N (SE cone)
Summit elevation: 755 m (north cone); 746 m (west cone); 725 m (SE cone)

Tre Monti means "Three Mountains", and this peculiar cluster of pyroclastic cones actually consists of three distinct small mountains that lie in an area with numerous other larger and smaller flank cones of Etna. They lie to the north of the town of Pedara and together occupy an area of no more than 0.4 km². In map view, they form a nearly perfect triangle, with the largest cone lying to the north, the second largest to the west, and the smallest to the southeast. Their summit height varies by only 30 m, and when seen from many locations in different directions they appear to be of equal proportions. Seen close-up, however, the Tre Monti are seen to be different both in size and shape. They formed during one or more undated prehistoric eruption(s) and grew a few tens of meters around the surrounding terrain, with a maximum relative height of 90 m (northern cone). The northern and western cones are highly symmetrical and are truncated by the nearly horizontal rims of their craters, while the southeastern cone has a high eastern crater rim; much of the crater area of this latter cone is occupied by buildings and gardens belonging to the "Villaggio Tre Monti". The northern cone has a well-preserved crater about 20 m deep, while the southern summit area of the western cone seems to have been modified by human activity - mostly bulldozing, possibly aimed at extracting construction material.
Among Etna's flank cones the Tre Monti are surely not the most pleasant and interesting to visit. They lie in a strongly urbanized area, and yet the common practice of discharging waste in any spot that is not someone's private property is widely evident. Volcanologically these three cones do not offer anything outstandingly fascinating. The only reason to visit them is to see the results of the savage and uncontrolled urbanization on the southeastern flank of Etna, and enjoy some panoramic views.
I visited the Tre Monti in July 2003, when all photographs shown on this page were taken.

Left: after many weeks without precipitation, dried vegetation gives the northern cone of the Tre Monti an intense yellow color. This is the tallest of the three cones in the cluster, and here it is seen from the southern crater rim of the western cone, about 0.3 km away Center: this is the crater of the northern cone of the Tre Monti, showing the huge main edifice of Etna in the background Right: the remarkably flat south rim of the eastern cone is seen from the south rim of the neighboring northern cone, and in the background lie (from left to right) Mompilieri, Monti Rossi, and Mompeloso, near the town of Nicolosi and 3-5 km distant. Photos taken in early July 2003

Left: view from the southern crater rim of the northern cone onto the southeastern cone, whose crater is largely occupied by homes and gardens, named "Villaggio Tre Monti" Center: looking east from the western cone across the saddle between the northern and southeastern cones (marked by the large building in the lower center of image) toward a nameless low cone north of the town of Trecastagni and the symmetrical cone of Monte S. Nicolò in the background Right: the "Villaggio Tre Monti" and the eastern rim of the southeastern crater of the Tre Monti, seen here from the western cone, about 350 m distant. Photos taken in early July 2003

Continue to a group of nameless vents north of Trecastagni

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