Catania (gro) Early summer is the ideal time for a circumnavigation of Mount Etna, the largest volcano in Europe. It is the time when it blossoms, greens and smells like paradise on the wide slopes of the mountain of fire. And nothing is better suited for a circumnavigation than the circular railroad around the mountain massif on the east coast of Sicily. This ring railroad is a 110-kilometer narrow-gauge line from the station Catania-Borgo (via Caronda) to Giarre in the north of the province. From there there is a constant connection towards Catania.
The historical remains of a railroad network.
The circular railroad around the volcanic massif, the Ferrovia Circumetnea (FCE), is the only remaining remnant of a railroad network for the whole of Sicily, the construction of which was begun in 1880. While most of the project soon failed, progress seemed to have been made on Etna when, in 1883, a consortium was formed in which, in addition to the Catania County Council, the Chamber of Commerce of the provincial capital and several municipalities around Etna (including Riposto, Giarre, Linguaglossa, Randazzo, Bronté, Adrano, Paternò, Belpasso and Misterbianco) joined forces.
A British investor does not give up.
To be sure, as in all of Sicily, there were ongoing disagreements in Etna. However, progress was made with the project in Catania after the British investor Robert Trewhella reached a compromise in the fall of 1885, to which all parties agreed. According to this compromise, the British investor undertook to build the circular track at his own expense in return for the transfer of the rights of use. In 1889 the construction works started and already six years the first section of the line from Catania-Borgo to Adrano could be opened.
The World War brings the nationalization.
The circular railroad called Ferrovia Circumetnea (FCE) managed to withstand the earthquakes and eruptions of Etna for decades. But after the end of the Second World War the rail company got into such financial trouble because of bomb damage that was so costly to repair that it had to be taken over by the state. Incidentally, since 1999 the FCE has been operating the first subway line in the city of Catania. We also consider worth mentioning that a ticket for circumnavigating Etna entitles you to any number of stops and stays in the towns along the wonderful circuit.