Living in a crater: where are the homes near Italy's volcanoes?

A large number of people in Italy live near active volcanoes Pixabay

13 January 2022, 7:08

One of the biggest news stories of the last year, at least in property news, was the eruption of the volcano in the Spanish Canary Islands that caused hundreds of thousands of euros worth of damage with its lava flow. The eruption, which began in September, was only declared to have ended in December after activity seemed to have ceased. Over those months, we saw in great detail the risks associated with living so close to a volcano, as there is little that we can do except evacuate the area if one begins to erupt.

Despite this, many people choose to make their lives near these beautiful giants, not only in Spain, but in Italy as well. In fact Italy has more active volcanic regions than Spain, including the more famous volcanoes in Italy such as Mt. Etna (in Sicily), or Mt. Vesuvius (in Campania), as well as the volcanic islands in the Mediterranean. Despite the active nature of several of these volcanoes, there are many people living in the vicinity of each, with plenty of activity in the property market for those looking to buy a house nearby. For those who only wish to visit these beautiful regions, and not necessarily live in their shadow, there are also a number of holiday rentals on offer for you to take advantage of.

Mt. Etna

Mt. Etna is the largest active volcano in Italy Flickr

Of all the volcanoes in Italy, Mt. Etna, on the island of Sicily, is probably the most impressive. The volcano is by far the largest of the active volcanoes in Italy, over twice the size of its nearest competitor, and has been known for so long that it even features in Greek mythology, while today it is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the tallest active volcanoes in Europe, the tallest peak in Italy south of the Alps, and it is continuing to grow: there was so much activity in 2021 that the peak grew by about thirty metres! Etna is a hugely active volcano, with a long history of eruptions, including several devestating ones. In 1669, the lava flows from the volcano destroyed several villages and even reached the walls of Catania. In 1928, another eruption destroyed the village of Mascali, which was later rebuilt. Several other eruptions have come close to destroying population centres in the last century, though none have actually caused as much damage as those.

Despite the evident risks, a huge number of people live in the shadow of Mt. Etna. The volcanic soils are incredibly conducive to agriculture and there are many vinyards and orchards in the area. As such, it is hardly too surprising that there are several population centres around the volcano, in the province of Catania, including the rebuilt Mascali, and of course the city of Catania itself. So if living near this truly beautiful natural wonder appeals to you, then you have plenty of choice on where exactly to live. Or alternatively, you could just find a holiday rental and visit for a brief trip!

The Campanian Volcanic Arc

With Naples on its doorstep, Mt. Vesuvius is considered one of the worlds most dangerous volcanoes Unsplash

As the name would imply, the Campanian Volcanic Arc is a volcanic area in the Campania region of Italy, home to several distinct volcanoes, including Mt. Epomeo on the island of Ischia, the Phlegraean Fileds, an ancient caldera that includes part of Naples, and parts of which still emit volcanic fumes, several underwater volcanoes off the coast of Naples, and perhaps the most famous volcano in Italy: Mt. Vesuvius.

While not as impressive as the much larger Mt. Etna, and less volcanically active (the last eruption was in 1944), Mt. Vesuvius is particularly famous for one specific eruption: the eruption of 79AD. This massive eruption destroyed several Roman settlements in their entirety, the most famous of which was Pompeii, where the ash deposits preserved the city and her inhabitants in their final moments in stunning detail. In this way, since the rediscovery of the city and archaeological excavations at the site, the eruption gave a unique view into daily life in Amcient Rome, as everything was preserved as it was 2,000 years ago.

The 79AD eruption was not however the only significant eruption of Mt. Vesuvius; in fact, the eruption in 1944 destroyed several nearby villages, and the 1906 eruption caused massive damage to the city of Naples, leading to preparations for the 1908 Olympic Games in Rome being cancelled, and the event being held in London instead. Today Vesuvius is the only volcano on mainland Europe to have erupted in the last century, and with some 3,000,000 people living near enough to be affected by an eruption, all around the Gulf of Naples, it is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. If you chose to live here you would be far from alone, and there is plenty of choice in the housing market in the province of Naples. Plus, given how long it has been since Vesuvius erupted, there might be absolutely no problem. If however you just want to see the gorgeous natural landscapes of this area, but not hang around for too long, maybe check out the holiday rentals on offer in the area.

The Aeolian Islands

Despite the active volcano, Stromboli does have some inhabitants Flickr

The last of Italy's volcanic regions that we will discuss today is the Aeolian archipelago, a string of volcanic islands off the north coast of Sicily that is home to the last two of Italy's four active volcanoes: Stromboli and Vulcano. Of the two, Stromboli is the most active, in a near constant state of eruption to the point that it has gained the nickname the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean." Vulcano on the other hand has not erupted since the 19th century, though it is still considered active and people were even evacuated from the area last year after an increase in volcanic activity.

However, all things considered, the Aeolian Islands may be the safest of Italy's volcanic regions to live for a very simple reason: the only two volcanically active islands have tiny populations, and the other islands, where there are more significant population centres, are not active at all, while still boasting the incredible natural landscapes that volcanic islands the world over are famous for, and depending on where you are, even offer amazing views of one of the two active volcanic islands. So if you are looking for a home in Italy, near to a volcano, but safely out of harm's way (something of a paradoxical wish to be fair!), then the Aeolian Islands are probably your best bet for where to look to buy a home. Alternatively, if you would like to just visit these beautiful islands, there are plenty of holiday rentals available across the islands, many boasting incredible views of the volcanoes themselves!