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 eruption of Etna since the 1991–1993 eruption that lasted 473 days. Previous eruptions, in 2001, 2002–2003, and 2004–2005 had lasted 3 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months, respectively. Lava flows advanced 6.5 km during the first few days of this eruption but thereafter stagnated at much minor distances from the vents; during the last months of the eruption lava rarely advanced more than 1 km downslope. Through January 2011 to February 2012, the summit craters of Etna were the site of intense activity. Frequent eruptions and ash columns forced the authorities to shut down the Catania airport on several occasions.