Belpasso
Bella Belpasso: Discovering a Sicilian commune in the heart of Mount Etna
Welcome to beautiful Belpasso, a commune in the metropolitan city of Catania in Sicily. The town is located on the slopes of Mount Etna, south of the volcano, and is home to over 27,000 inhabitants. In our tour of Belpasso, we will take you on a journey to discover the geography of the town, the origins of its name, and its history.
Geography
Physical
The town is situated at an altitude of 551m and occupies part of the southern slope of Mount Etna, up to the southern border of Catania. The Simeto river flows nearby. The area is characterized by lava flows, volcanic ash rains, and low-granulometry lapilli from nearby emission craters.
Origins of the name
The first mention of the town dates back to 1305 when it was called "Santa Maria del Passo". Later, the toponym "Malupassu" (also known as "Malpassu" or "Malopasso") replaced the previous one.
The term "Malpaís" in Spanish refers to a site north of Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, characterized by barren land and covered with dark, mostly basaltic lava. This term has also entered Italian usage as an Hispanism, also known as "badland". The toponym "Malupassu" could derive from the topographic characteristics of the area.
Although it is difficult to hypothesize that the second element of the toponym, "passu", has evolved from the Latin word "pāgus" ("countryside, area, or rural community"), it could descend from the homonymous noun or the past participle of the verb "pando", which means "passus".
History
Belpasso was originally composed of various villages and hamlets, including Guardia di Malpasso, Bottighelle, Nicolosi, Sant'Antonio, Annunziata di Malpasso, Fallachi, Misericordia di Malpasso, Fondaco Vecchio, and Fondaco Nuovo.
The town was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Etna in 1669, which affected Catania and covered the town with a thick layer of lava. The surviving inhabitants rebuilt the town in a distant area from the original one called "contrada Grammena". The new center was named "Fenicia Moncada", after the Arabic phoenix and the powerful Moncada family, princes of Paternò and feudal lords of the area. This center was abandoned due to the earthquake of Val di Noto.
Belpasso was rebuilt a third time in an even different area located further north of the two previous sites and was named "Stella Aragona".
Conclusions
In conclusion, Belpasso is a historic city with a history of destruction and rebirth. Today, it is a welcoming and picturesque commune at the foot of Mount Etna. If you are looking for a unique vacation destination in Sicily, Belpasso is a place that is definitely worth visiting. We are sure you will fall in love with the unique atmosphere of this historic town.
