Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) is perhaps one of the most important and multifaceted German intellectuals of all time, famous not only for his writings but also for his experiences. And among those experiences there was a very successful “trip to Italy” that also took him to Etna. Among the famous people who visited the volcano, Goethe was perhaps the most generous in descriptions and sensations. And it is not surprising, given his talent.
Goethe: the man and the writer
Born in Frankfurt to a family of weavers, at the very young age of ten he experienced the French occupation of his city. Those were years of tension, but also of cultural exchanges and it was thanks to the French theater that the young Goethe became passionate about writing. He spent his youth between study (he knew three languages) and travel, always maintaining a close correspondence with his sister Cornelia to whom he was united by a deep affection.
He lived between Leipzig and Strasbourg, continually trying new experiences. He graduated in law, began writing his first short stories and also worked in art, criticism and journalism. Between 1786 and 1788 he repeated the journey already undertaken by his father when he was young, going to get to know the most beautiful places in Italy up close.
Goethe in Sicily
During 1787, Goethe found himself traveling between Naples and Sicily. Our island was supposed to be just a short stop, with a stay in Palermo, but the writer was so won over by the wild nature and passionate people that he extended his stay. He explored Sicily almost entirely, also stopping in inland areas such as Agrigento and Caltanissetta.
Having reached the coast, he was fascinated by Taormina and that majestic giant volcano that stood out on its panorama. He directed his tour towards Catania, describing in great detail the “rocks of Aci”, that is Aci Castello, and the elegant historic center of the Etna area capital city. But his curiosity pushed him to try the adventure, reaching the foot of Mount Etna.
Climbing Etna
“What appeared before us on the mountain side: the masses of lava in the foreground, the twin peaks of the Monti Rossi on the left, and in front of us the forest of Nicolosi, above which rose the cone of Etna covered in snow and slightly smoking”.
On a splendid day, Goethe, together with the painter Kniep and a guide climbed from Nicolosi towards the top of Etna using mules as a means of transport. Along the way, he admired “lavas not yet tamed by time” (probably those of 1669). And again: “Blocks and jagged slabs presented us with their stiffened masses, through which our mounts randomly opened a path. When we reached the first peak of some importance, we stopped”.
Due to the sudden bad weather that accumulated on the spot, they preferred not to continue further and never actually reached the summit crater – at the time, in fact, there was only one. However, the experience was very intense for the young writer.
It was after this adventure that, on the return ship from Messina, Goethe wrote the famous phrase: “It is not possible to form a correct idea of Italy without having seen Sicily: here lies the key to everything”.
The memory of Goethe
In memory of the visit of such a famous person, almost every place in Sicily boasts tombstones and plaques that commemorate his passage or his stay.
The town of Nicolosi has dedicated a real monument ( HERE ) to the writer, located at the foot of the pine forest of Monti Rossi, where the memory of Goethe’s adventure in discovering our volcano Etna is engraved on the black lava rock. (PHOTOS BY G MUSUMECI)