How many active volcanoes are there in Italy? Here's info and curiosities about the most dangerous ones!

The word "volcano" evokes two things for us Italians: Etna and Vesuvius. But are we sure there aren't others in our country? More importantly, can we be at ease? We will help you understand the situation of Italian volcanoes and their hypothetical danger level.
First, let's clarify: what exactly is a volcano? It is a complex geological structure that is generated within the Earth's crust by the upward movement, due to eruptive activity, of molten rock material. This substance is what we call magma. A volcano does not only erupt magma, but also: lava, ash, tephra, gases, various debris, and water vapor.

On the Earth's surface, 91% of volcanoes are underwater (mostly located along mid-ocean ridges), while about 1500 are today's active volcanoes on land. Volcanoes can erupt quietly (effusive) or explosively. The factors influencing the characteristics of a volcano are the viscosity of the magma and its silica content, which determines the composition of the magma itself.
And in Italy?
On our territory, there are at least ten active volcanoes, which have shown activity in the last 10,000 years. Let's find out which ones...

Of the ten active volcanoes, only Stromboli and Etna show persistent activity, meaning they have continuous eruptions or are separated by brief periods of rest. All our volcanoes are constantly monitored and studied.

• Location: Sicily, Province of Catania
• Height: 3,329 m
• Last Activity: May 24, 2016
• Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI): 2/8

Also called Mongibello or 'A Muntagna by the Sicilians, it is the highest volcano in Europe. It erupts from both the four summit craters and its flanks, at intervals that can last from a few months to 20 years. It has both effusive activity (with very fluid basaltic lava flows) and explosive activity. Not infrequently, in fact, "it spits out" dense columns of ash and gas, visible even from space. By doing so, it scatters rocks produced by its own eruptions (pyroclasts) all around. Closely monitored by geologists from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, it is predictable enough not to constitute a major threat. In 2013, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Videos of the latest eruptions:

• Location: Tyrrhenian Sea, Aeolian Islands
• Height: 926 m
• Last Activity: October 9, 2016
• Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI): 1/8

It is a volcano that emerges from the sea and has a very characteristic eruptive activity: it expels incandescent magma fragments at regular intervals, reaching heights of a few hundred meters. Lava and pyroclasts then flow into the sea through a steep slope called Sciara del Fuoco (Fire Road).

• Location: Phlegraean Islands - Gulf of Naples (Campania)
• Height: 900 m
• Last Activity: 1302
• Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI): Data Not Available

It may come as a surprise to some, but Ischia is also considered an active volcano.
Although it does not exhibit as dynamic an activity as the other volcanoes, Ischia still poses a potential danger. The intense hydrothermal activity, fumarolic phenomena, bradyseisms, recent earthquakes, and its eruptive history indicate that the island of Ischia must be considered an active volcano in every respect. This is because there are signs of magma ascent, even though no actual eruption has occurred recently. Approximately 50,000 people live on the island (not counting the numerous seasonal tourists and commuters): in the event of a violent resurgence of activity, they could be evacuated exclusively by sea. A significant issue that should not be underestimated...

These are the so-called dormant volcanoes, meaning those that have erupted in the last ten thousand years but are currently in a phase of rest. Some dormant volcanoes show secondary volcanic phenomena such as degassing from the ground and fumaroles.

• Location: Province of Naples (Campania)
• Height: 1,281 m
• Last Activity: 1944

Vesuvius, or more properly Somma-Vesuvius, is one of the most studied volcanoes in the world. Its explosive eruptions can launch gases, ash, and vapors at extremely high speeds and hundreds of kilometers away. Everyone knows the unfortunately famous eruption of 79 A.D., which buried the neighboring cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under a cloud of ash and pumice rocks. The volcano has been in "dormancy" since 1944, but it is fully active. Its danger level is determined by the fact that it rises in a densely populated area with millions of residents.

• Location: Province of Naples (Campania)
• Height: 458 m
• Last Activity: 1538

Another high-risk volcanic area, although currently silent, is that of the Campi Flegrei. The last eruption in this territory, which is constantly monitored, dates back to 1538. Despite this, a periodic phenomenon of ground subsidence and uplift known as bradyseism is active.

• Location: Province of Rome (Lazio)
• Height: 956 m
• Last Activity: 5000 years ago

The Laziale Volcano is the geological structure of the Colli Albani, the current landscape of the Castelli Romani territory. Currently, this volcanic area maintains a moderate activity, consisting mainly of gas emissions (some of which are highly toxic), ground deformations, and frequent weak seismic shocks. The fact that the volcano is dormant and has had resting periods of 30-40,000 years between eruptions raises concerns about a possible future awakening. Thus, it poses a potential danger for all the inhabitants of the towns in the Colli Albani and for the millions of residents of Rome.

• Location: Tyrrhenian Sea, Aeolian Islands
• Height: 386 m
• Last Activity: 1888/1890

The island owes its existence to the merging of several volcanoes. The largest is the Vulcano della Fossa. Although the last eruption occurred in 1888/1890, the volcano has never ceased to show signs of vitality. Even today, various phenomena can be observed: fumaroles, jets of steam both on the ridge and underwater, and the presence of sulfur mud with appreciated therapeutic properties. To the north, numerous fumaroles continue to emit boric acid, ammonium chloride, and sulfur. Due to the toxicity of the emitted gases, one can only approach them with authorized guides.

• Location: Tyrrhenian Sea, Aeolian Islands
• Height: 37 km²
• Last Activity: about 1400 years ago

The island of Lipari, like all the Aeolian islands, is the result of a complex series of volcanic eruptions that have occurred over the millennia. The last volcanic products are related to the activity of Forgia Vecchia, consisting of modest amounts of white pumice tephra followed by lava flows.

• Location: Strait of Sicily, Mediterranean Sea
• Height: 836 m
• Last Activity: 1891

It is the largest of the satellite islands of Sicily. It has an area of 83 km² and is the westernmost island of this group. It is located 120 km from Sicily and 70 km from the Tunisian coast. Its territory is of volcanic origin. It exhibits many secondary volcanic phenomena, especially hot waters and fumes that indicate the continuation of the volcano's activity.

• Location: submerged, Strait of Sicily, Mediterranean Sea - Coordinates: 37°10'00''N 12°43'00''E
• Height: Maximum altitude - 6.9 m depth
• Last Activity: 1831

Ferdinandea Island is a large rocky platform located about 6 meters below the sea surface. It constitutes the remains of a volcanic system that emerged in 1831, following the underwater eruption of a volcano: it rose from the water forming the island, which grew to an area of about 4 km² and a height of 65 m. Being predominantly composed of tephrite, an easily erodible volcanic rock material due to the action of sea waves, Ferdinandea Island did not have a long life. Once the eruptive episode ended, rapid erosion occurred, leading to its disappearance under the waves in January 1832. This temporarily ended the international disputes regarding its sovereignty. Recent research has discovered that the current bank constitutes, along with the nearby banks Terribile and Nerita, one of the accessory cones of the Empedocles underwater volcano: it is comparable to Etna in diameter and rises about 500 meters from the sea floor. In 2002, renewed seismic activity in the area led volcanologists to suspect an upcoming eruptive episode, which would subsequently cause a new emergence of the island. To preemptively avoid a new dispute over its sovereignty, some Italian divers planted a tricolor flag on the peak of the volcano in anticipation of its re-emergence. The eruption, however, did not occur, and the summit of Ferdinandea Island has remained about 8 meters below sea level. In 2012, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology discovered the presence of 9 distinct volcanic craters, corresponding to as many eruptions that have occurred in the area.

Those volcanoes are defined as extinct or dormant whose last certain and documentable eruption dates back more than ten thousand years.

• Location: Basilicata, Province of Potenza
• Height: 1,326 m
• Last Activity: Upper Pleistocene

Vulture is a extinct volcano. Today, its slopes are entirely covered by thick and lush vegetation, made so by the natural fertility of the soils that develop from volcanic rocks. Here you can find the two lakes of Monticchio, which are typical for volcanic regions. Extensive and high-quality chestnut forests flourish on this volcano: the Marroncino di Melfi D.O.P. is the protected designation of the exquisite local chestnuts. In the Vulture area, over 1500 hectares of Aglianico red grapevines are also grown. Aglianico del Vulture is considered one of Italy's finest red wines. At the foot of the mountain, numerous establishments for bottling mineral water exist, along with several towns, including: Melfi, Rapolla, Barile, Rionero in Vulture, and Atella.

• Location: Campania, Province of Caserta
• Height: 1,005 m
• Last Activity: 50,000 years ago

Currently, the volcano appears as a large isolated cone among the Aurunci mountains, the plain, and the valley of the Garigliano River, the Massico massif, Monte Maggiore, and Monte Cesima. The ancient volcanic activity, now long ceased, continues only through seismic movements and thermal springs of oligomineral waters. The fertility of the soil has allowed for the creation of dense chestnut forests. The volcano is part of the Roccamonfina-Foce Garigliano Regional Park, established in 1999. Several mineral types have been found in the surroundings of the volcano.

• Location: Lazio
• Height: 1,053 m
• Last Activity: 95,000 years ago

These mountains constitute what remains of the peripheral crown of two volcanic systems: one older, the Cimino volcano with Mount Cimino, and one more recent, the Vicano volcano with Mount Fogliano. Today, the centuries-old Beech Forest of Mount Cimino covers its peak. Mount Venere today hosts the Lake of Vico in its caldera, which preserves the typical traits of the roughness of the volcanic flanks better than any other lake of its kind in Italy.

• Location: Lazio, Umbria, Tuscany - provinces of Viterbo, Terni, Grosseto
• Height: 690 m
• Last Activity: 600,000 years ago

The Volsini Mountains are a hilly chain of volcanic origin that is found around the basin of Lake Bolsena. The Volsini Mountains belonged to the Vulsinio volcanic complex from which both the lake and the hills themselves originated. The Conca di Latera remains as a memory of that ancient volcanic activity, the last remnant of an ancient volcano. Recently, there have been thoughts of utilizing the last remnants of volcanic activity through the construction of geothermal plants. One of these was supposed to arise on the Alfina plateau, while another was built in Latera, but the plant proved counterproductive. Its emissions, rich in sulfur and other acids, caused damage to agriculture and tourism. In 1997, ENEL decided to close the plant and transfer geothermal resources to Mount Amiata.

• Location: Tuscany - provinces of Grosseto and Siena
• Height: 1,738 m
• Last Activity: 700,000 years ago

It is an ancient, now extinct, volcano, with rocks and small lakes of volcanic origin. The sources of the rivers Fiora, Vivo, Albegna, and Paglia are also found here. The volcanic origins of the mountain massif have maintained seismic activity in the area. Among the various events, remember the 1948 earthquake centered in the mountainous area straddling the provinces of Grosseto and Siena. In the Amiata area, there are numerous protected areas: the Natural Reserves of Monte Labbro, Pescinello, Bosco dei Rocconi, Poggio all'Olmo, Santissima Trinità, and Monte Penna. There is also an important wildlife park here.