Italian cruiser Etna Italian cruiser Etna Etna was a protected cruiser of the Italian "Regia Marina" (Royal Navy) built in the 1880s. She was the lead ship of the , which included three sister ships. Named for Mount Etna on the island of Sicily, the ship was laid down in January 1883, was launched in September 1885, and was completed in December 1887. She was armed with a main battery of two and six guns, and could steam at a speed of around . "Etna" frequently cruised abroad throughout her career, including visits to the United States for the World's Columbian Exposition and
Mount Etna The fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the lower slopes of the mountain and the broad Plain of Catania to the south. Due to its history of recent activity and nearby population, Mount Etna has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations. In June 2013, it was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The word Etna is from the Greek αἴθω ("aithō"), meaning "I burn", through an iotacist pronunciation. In Classical Greek, it is called ("Aítnē"), a name given also to Catania and the city originally known as Inessa.