Zafferana Etnea is a comune

Comune

In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...

(municipality) in the Province of Catania

Province of Catania

Catania is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital is the city of Catania.It has an area of 3,552 km², and a total population of 1,073,881 . There are 58 comunes in the province, see Comunes of the Province of Catania...

 in the Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 region Sicily

Sicily

Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

, located about 160 km southeast of Palermo

Palermo

Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...

 and about 20 km north of Catania

Catania

Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...

.

The municipality of Zafferana Etnea contains the frazioni

Frazione

A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...

(subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Fleri, Pisano, Petrulli; Sarro-Civita, Passopomo, Airone-Emmaus, Poggiofelice, and Caselle.

Zafferana Etnea borders the following municipalities: Aci Sant'Antonio

Aci Sant'Antonio

Aci Sant'Antonio is a comune in the Province of Catania in the Italian region of Sicily, located about 160 km southeast of Palermo and about 10 km northeast of Catania....

, Acireale

Acireale

Acireale is a coastal city and commune in the north-east of the province of Catania, Sicily, Italy, at the foot of Mount Etna, on the coast facing the Ionian Sea. It is a diocese, famous for its churches, including the Neo-Gothic St. Peter's Basilica, St...

, Adrano

Adrano

Adrano is a town and comune in the province of Catania on the east coast of Sicily.It is situated around 41 km northwest of Catania, which is also the capital of the province to which Adrano belongs. It lies near the foot of Mount Etna, at the confluence of the Simeto and Salso rivers. It is...

, Belpasso

Belpasso

Belpasso is a comune in the Province of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about 150 km southeast of Palermo and about 10 km northwest of Catania...

, Biancavilla

Biancavilla

Biancavilla is a town and comune in the Province of Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It is located between the towns of Adrano and S. Maria di Licodia, 32 kilometers northwest of Catania.The town was founded on 8 January 1488 by Albanian refugees...

, Bronte

Bronte (CT)

Bronte is a town and comune of Sicily , near Mount Etna.-Geography:Bronte is located slightly northwest of Mount Etna, on the side of the valley of the Simeto river. It is about 30 kilometers west of the coast....

, Castiglione di Sicilia

Castiglione di Sicilia

Castiglione di Sicilia is a comune in the Province of Catania in Sicily.-Geography:...

, Giarre

Giarre

Giarre is an Italian town and comune on the east coast of Sicily in the province of Catania. It is bounded by the comuni of Mascali, Riposto, Acireale, Santa Venerina, Milo and Sant'Alfio...

, Maletto

Maletto

Maletto is a comune in the Province of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about 140 km east of Palermo and about 40 km northwest of Catania...

, Milo, Nicolosi

Nicolosi

Nicolosi is a comune in the Province of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about 160 km southeast of Palermo and about 12 km northwest of Catania....

, Pedara

Pedara

Pedara is a comune in the Province of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about 224 km southeast of Palermo and about north of Catania. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 11,233 and an area of...

, Randazzo

Randazzo

Randazzo is a town and comune of Sicily, Italy, in the province of Catania. It is situated at the northern foot of Mount Etna, 70 km NW of Catania by rail. It is the nearest town to the summit of Etna, and is one of the points from which the ascent may be made.-History:In the 13th century the...

, Sant'Alfio

Sant'Alfio

Sant'Alfio is a comune in the Province of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about 160 km east of Palermo and about 25 km north of Catania...

, Santa Venerina, Trecastagni

Trecastagni

Trecastagni is a comune in the Province of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about 160 km southeast of Palermo and about 11 km north of Catania...

, Viagrande

Viagrande

Viagrande is a comune in the Province of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about 160 km southeast of Palermo and about 11 km north of Catania...

.

History and culture

The town spread around the Priory of San Giacomo, founded in 1387 in the upper part of the Valle del Bove, the point of confluence of the lava streams from Etna's Eastern craters which frequently have destroyed the town, which has always been rebuilt. Zafferana Etnea was threatened by the 1992 volcanic eruption

Volcano

2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...

 of Mt. Etna.. It is now a summer resort with views of landscapes toward both the mountain and the sea.

The second Sunday in August is the Festa of Madonna della Provvidenza. There is a festival of grapes, bottled fruit, mushrooms, honey, wine and chestnuts in October.

Zafferana, along with Nicolosi

Nicolosi

Nicolosi is a comune in the Province of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about 160 km southeast of Palermo and about 12 km northwest of Catania....

, is now regarded as one of the major tourist stopping points for summer and winter expeditions to the summit of Mt. Etna.