Exploring Mt Etna and Ancient Sicily

Here’s a short video I made in Sicily in February 2020 – less than two weeks before the pandemic lockdown. I was lucky to visit Mt Etna on a perfectly clear day, on a tour with Etna Experience. Their guides, Paolo and Roberto, were excellent and knowledgable, sharing stories about the mountain’s volcanic history and its role in ancient legends and myths – such as the one about Jason and the Argonauts and the Cyclops.

Etna has shaped human development on Sicily since before the Greeks arrived in 750 B.C. (Little is known about the Neolithic people who were present before the Greeks). The island’s strategic position in the Mediterranean has left Sicily with a long history of unwelcome attention from external powers – which is the reason why Sicily has such a rich and varied heritage. You will need more than one visit to take it all in. But as you can see from the video, the relics and ancient sites that remain still speak very loudly for themselves.

I hope my video inspires you to visit this amazing island one day – when the pandemic has passed and international travel becomes possible again.

I shot most of this video with a DJI Osmo Pocket, with additional footage from a Sony HX-90 and an iPhone. The aerials were shot with a Mavic Mini drone.

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