An Italian, French and German consortium within the context of an EEC research project established this station. It was operational between 1981 and 1987 and is now used for experimenting with electricity production via solar panels as part of project to provide electricity to mountain refuges.

Today only part of the palace’s façade remains: attractive bicoloured banding and twin windows embellish it. Famous figures in history stayed here before the earthquake destroyed it in 1693: Joan of England, William II the Norman, Constance of Aragon and Charles V.

On the road to Linguaglossa, this chestnut tree of around 2,000 years of age is the main attraction of the village. Its trunk is made up of three stems and has a circumference of 60m! According to legend, Queen Jean cane to stay there one stormy night with her escort of 100 knights. No one got wet!

The ascent can be from the south from Catania, via Nicolosi, or by the northeast face from Taormina via Linguaglossa. The former will take you up to an altitude of 3 000m near the grandiose Valle del Bove, hemmed in by walls of lava (1 200m high) and pierced with pot holes and crevasses belching smoke. The road to the northeast face ends at Piano Provenzana (1 800m). There is a magnificent view from the area around the new observatory. The climb ends amid an extraordinary landscape of lava and smoking pot holes.