Zafferana Etnea (; ) is a ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' (municipality) in the

Metropolitan City of Catania The Metropolitan City of Catania () is a metropolitan city in Sicily, Italy. Its capital is the city of Catania. It replaced the province of Catania and comprises the city of Catania and 57 other communes. It has 1,068,563 inhabitants as of 2025 ...

in the Italian region

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, located about southeast of

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

and about north of

Catania Catania (, , , Sicilian and ) is the second-largest municipality on Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. Despite being the second city of the island, Catania is the center of the most densely populated Sicilian conurbation, wh ...

. The municipality of Zafferana Etnea contains the ''

frazioni A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidat ...

'' (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Fleri, Pisano, Petrulli; Sarro-Civita, Passopomo, Airone-Emmaus, Poggiofelice, and Caselle. Zafferana Etnea borders the following municipalities: Aci Sant'Antonio,

Acireale Acireale (; , locally shortened to ''Jaci'' or ''Aci'') is a coastal city and ''comune'' in the north-east of the Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily, southern Italy, at the foot of Mount Etna, on the coast facing the Ionian Sea. It is home to ...

, Adrano, Belpasso, Biancavilla, Bronte,

Castiglione di Sicilia Castiglione di Sicilia ( Sicilian: ''Castigghiuni di Sicilia'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania in Sicily, southern Italy. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). C ...

Giarre Giarre () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily. The town is located about southeast of Palermo and around north of Catania. Geography Giarre is bounded by the municipalities of Acireale, Mascali, Milo, Ri ...

Maletto Maletto () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about east of Palermo and about northwest of Catania. Maletto borders the following municipalities: Adrano, Belpasso, Bia ...

, Milo,

Nicolosi Nicolosi () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo and about northwest of Catania. Nicolosi borders the following municipalities: Adrano, Belpasso ...

, Pedara, Randazzo,

Sant'Alfio Saint Alphius (in Italian: Sant'Alfio) or () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania in the Italy, Italian region Sicily, about east of Palermo and about north of Catania. Saint Alphius borders the following municipal ...

, Santa Venerina, Trecastagni, Viagrande.

History

The town spread around the Priory of San Giacomo, founded in 1387 in the upper part of the Valle del Bove, the point of confluence of the lava streams from Etna's eastern craters, which frequently have destroyed the town, which has always been rebuilt. Zafferana Etnea was threatened by the 1992

volcanic eruption A volcanic eruption occurs when material is expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of behavior h ...

Mount Etna Mount Etna, or simply Etna ( or ; , or ; ; or ), is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina, Italy, Messina and Catania. It is located above the Conve ...

.Zafferana Etnea Journal; It's Plug Up Mt. Etna or Go the Way of Pompeii
by Alan Cowell on 25 April 1992, ''New York Times'' It is now a summer resort with views of landscapes toward both the mountain and the sea.

Culture

In August, every second Sunday of each year, Zafferana Etnea celebrates Festa della Madonna della Provvidenza. It is the most important religious and folkloric celebration of the year and celebrates the Patron Saint of Zafferana Etnea, "Madonna della Provvidenza". In October, the municipality of Zafferana Etnea organises a unique festival called Ottobrata Zafferanese. It is celebrated every Sunday in October and is an opportunity to partake of local pastries and cakes as well as typical products of the city, such as grapes, bottled fruit, mushrooms, honey, liquor, wine, and chestnuts. Handcrafted products made by local artisans are also on display. The festival also presents exhibitions, documentaries about the Etna volcano, shows, and dance performances. The citizens of Zafferana Etnea start preparing in mid-September. Zafferana, along with

, is now regarded as a major tourist stopping point for summer and winter expeditions to the summit of Mt. Etna.

Notable people

* Giuseppe Sciuti (1834–1911), painter * Alfio Rapisarda (born 1933), prelate * Alfio Giuffrida (born 1953), painter and sculptor * Rosario Di Bella (born 1963), singer and songwriter

References

Cities and towns in Sicily {{Sicily-geo-stub