Etna Driving Tour

A drive round Etna, starting from Catania (144km/89mi, also possible by rail), is very rewarding. The road runs via Misterbianco (213m/703ft; pop. 15,000), Paternò (225m/743ft; pop. 46,500) with a castle built by Roger I in 1073 (rebuilt in the 14th century; well-preserved interior), towering above the town, to Adrano (588m/1,940ft; pop. 34,000), beautifully situated on a lava plateau, with a Norman castle containing an Archeological Museum and the convent of Santa Lucia, 15th-17th century.

About 9km/5.5mi southwest of Adrano, picturesquely situated on a steep hill above the Simeto valley, with a magnificent view of Etna, is the little town of Centuripe (730m/2,409ft; pop. 6750), formerly Centorbi, with the so-called Castello di