Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, standing as the tallest active volcano in Europe and the highest peak in Italy south of the Alps, with a height of 3,403 meters as of September 2024. It sits above the convergent boundary between the African and Eurasian plates, covers a vast 1,190 square kilometers, and is in an almost constant state of activity, making it by far the largest of Italy's four active volcanoes. Its fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, and due to its activity and nearby population, it has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations and added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in June 2013. The name "Etna" likely derives from the Greek word for "to burn" or the Phoenician for "furnace," and in mythology, it was said to house the forge of the god Hephaestus/Vulcan and trap the monster Typhon. Also known as Mongibello—a blend of Romance and Arabic words for "mountain"—the volcano even appears in Arthurian legends as the otherworldly realm of Morgan le Fay and King Arthur.