The remains of the iconic Torre del
Filosofo have disappeared, completely this time, buried under the debris of the last peak of Etna, the 14th of 2013 .
Etna - The lava flows of the 14 ° peak on Torre del Filosofo - Photo Marco Neri / Etna Facebook
Legend has it that the Greek philosopher Empedocles ( εμπεδοκλῆς - ca 490 - 430 BC) was established there a small observatory near the top of Mount Etna.
He threw himself into the central crater existing at the time at the top of the volcano ... his motives are unclear : asking this act, he wanted to commit a suicide, or become an immortal god by
throwing himself into the volcano, or prove to people that he could survive at the fire of Etna
and come back safely ? Legend says that the volcano swallowed Empedocles and
spat one of his bronze sandals .
It is assumed that the
philosopher did not throw themselves into the crater , but continued to live after this volcanic episode , participating in the political and cultural life of Syracuse.
In
Roman times , a stone and lava building was erected on Mount Etna, a gazebo for the Emperor Hadrian (Route description, history and art of Italy and Sicily - By Joseph Augustin Du Pays)
which inspired the idea of the tower.
The summit of Mount Etna and the remains of the Torre del Filosofo - JP Hackert 1780
The area coincides with the rim of a small caldera, formed in the year 122 BC., during the most violent explosive eruptions of the past 10,000 years .
In the late '60s, a new building , known
as the " Torre del Filosofo " , was built there , to serve as a mountain refuge. Never inaugurated , it was almost completely destroyed and buried by the eruption of
2002-2003.
The Torre del Filosofo refuge escape to the eruption - 06.04.2000 - photo Th. Boeckel
"
The morning at Torre del Filisofo " - 03.11.2002 - Photo Thorsten Boeckel - clicking on the photo takes you on his site "From Etna to Stromboli ."
Etna - 2003 crater still smoking ,
and the crater southeast and Sudestino in 2008 - Photo Bernard Duyck
The remains of Torre del Filososfo refuge in 2008
- Photo P.N.Etna
A wooden chalet set by the
group of guides Etna Sud to the terminal of Funivia dell'Etna 4x4 bus burned during the climax.
Etna - Torre del Filosofo - the chalet of Gruppo Guide Etna Sud - Photo Gruppo Guide Etna Sud .
Etna - 2013 schematic map of the summit craters - TDF : Torre del Filosofo
- doc . Serv . Mapping INGV
Sources :
- From Etna to Stromboli - Thorsten Boeckel - link
- Etna - aniversaire de l'éruption de 2002 - sur ce blog
