Italian Fire And Ice: Leading Photographers Capture Mount Etna’s Natural Beauty From Malta
You may not see it every day, but when the visibility is high enough, one can easily see the island of Sicily from various points of Malta – and rising from the Italian island is the beautiful, active volcano of Mount Etna.
Now, two of Malta’s leading photographers, Ian Noel Pace and Daniel Cilia, have captured the iconic volcano both in its dormant and active state over the past few days.
Due to the weather Malta experienced over the past few days, the times where visibility has been clearest has offered great opportunities to see one of Europe’s most active volcanoes. Though Mount Etna tends to have almost constant reported activity, it is not a rare sight to see Etna covered in snow…. especially from Malta.
Captured by Cilia, the snow-capped Mount Etna looms in the distance whilst the stunning parish church of Mġarr stands in the foreground to perfectly capture the peaceful Maltese village.
What may interest most people is that Mount Etna looks to be so close as if only a short distance off the coast despite in actuality being 212km away from Malta.
Yet these beautiful images aren’t photoshopped in any way, shape or form – this is simply the magic of visibility levels.
Cilia had previously shot Mount Etna from as far away as Dingli Cliffs in October – where Mdina can be noticed marking the middle between the foreground and Etna in the background.
This same stunning view was also captured by another local photographer, Ian Noel Pace, who captured the view of Mount Etna rising up behind Mdina Cathedral three months after the initial picture by Cilia.
Yet, the pair have not only captured the icy and peaceful side of Mount Etna.
Rather, they were able to capture stunning images of Etna’s roaring eruption last night as volcanic ash plumes rose high into the sky from around 8.21 pm.
Captured from near Magħtab, the fiery eruption from Mount Etna offers a contrast to the snow-capped images both photographers previously have captured – whilst also offering crisp shots of Etna’s red glow lighting up the night sky.
From another angle, captured by Cilia, one can also see Etna’s eruption appearing as if Magħtab itself were aflame – an ironic image considering Magħtab’s history and use.
In another image by Cilia, captured just before dawn today, viewers are also able to see Etna still glowing red in the background, whilst Verdala Castle, the summer residence of Malta’s Presidents (and once the Grand Masters) stands proudly in the foreground.
Lovin Malta reached out to Cilia, who was also able to confirm the location that these images have been taken from. This includes a direct line showing the 212km distance from Malta to Mount Etna.
Coordinates for the location are 35°54'12''N 14°21'49''E
Whilst many of us have our own tales of spotting Mount Etna from places around Malta, it is rare that we are able to enjoy such stunning and clear images of such a phenomenal and iconic Mediterranean landmark.
Have you ever seen Mount Etna from Malta? Let us know!
READ NEXT: Mosta FC May Face €17,000 Fine Over Fans' Alleged Racist Attack On Maya Lucia
