Bird's Eye Views of Sicily, Italy

Located just off the toe of Italy, Sicily is home to Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world. The volcano is also the tallest mountain in Italy south of the Alps and is surrounded by the Etna National Park.  The rich volcanic soil around it makes for excellent grape growing, making it one of the islands great wine-producing regions. Facts aside, this Drone Video of the Week Nominee by OnFocus gives us a unqiue look at all the beauty the region has to offer. 

Top conrtributor Haussmannvisuals, profiled in a December, 2018 Drone Dish segment, created this stunning drone video of the island of Stromboli, just off the coast of Sicily.  One of the Aeolian Islands which sit between Sicily and the Italian mainland in the Tyrrhenian Sea, it's home to one of the country's three active volcanoes.  Said volcano is on full display here in its state of near-constant minor eruption, along with other beautiful sites like a lighthouse topped islet just offshore.     

Using a DJI Mavic Pro drone, contributor Chris Berg created this stunning aerial video of Italy's Mt. Etna, one of the world's most well known active volcanoes.  Situated on the giant island of Sicily, the mountain stands about 3.3k meters (around 10.9k ft.) above sea level.  The mountain is in a near-constant state of eruption and is considered quite dangerous.  Famously, Mt. Etna "played the role" of Planet Mustafar in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), the last of the "prequel" trilogy.

Contributor Joe Paskes used a DJI Mavic Pro drone to create this marvelous aerial tour of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean.  Home to over 5 million Italians, the island features gorgeous rolling hills, spectacular (and in some cases, very active) volcanoes, quaint seaside villages reminiscent of the Godfather movie series, and the bustling provincial capital city of Palermo, center of the fifth largest metro area in the country.  All of which are on display in this beautiful aerial collage.

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean.  It lies across the Strait of Messina from the "boot" of Italy, of which it is an autonomous region.  Home to about 5 million people, its most prominent feature is the 3.3k meter (almost 11k ft) Mt. Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe.  Contributor ArmandoWDN used a drone to create this spectacular aerial tour of Sicily.  Immerse youself in these aerial views of the the sunny coastline, the jagged cliffs, and green pastures. 

Contrubutor Virgilio Ferrara used a DJI Phantom 4 drone to create this epic aerial video of Palermo, the capital of the province of Sicily, which includes the island of Sicily and several smaller islands.  This nearly 3,000 year old city is situated on the northern coast of Sicily on the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is considered part of the Mediterranean Sea.  The Palermo metropolitan area is the fifth largest in Italy and the second largest in its southern region after Naples.  

Sicily is not only the largest island in the Mediterranean, it's also one of the oldest in terms of human settlement.  Archaelogists believe that it may have been settled as long as 12,000 years ago, long before most areas of Europe.  In this video, contributor armandoWDN gives us an aerial tour of Patalica, an area in the southeast corner of the island, near Syracuse.  Pantalica is the site of the Necropolis, a cemetery which is thought to hold as many as 5,000 graves.

Sicily's Mt. Etna is one of the earth's most active volcanoes.  In the 1990s, it was added to the list of 'Decade Volcanos' by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI). This project was initiated by the United Nations to prepare for disasters created by volcanoes; Etna was selected due to its recent activity and the risk presented to nearby residents.  In this aerial video, drone pilot Haussmannvisuals provides a rare look inside the colossal landmark.

Contributor Chris Borg created this beautiful aerial video of Italy's Aeolian Islands using a DJI Mavic Pro drone.  These eight islands are situated immediately to the north of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea, a subdivision of the Mediterranean Sea which is bounded by Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, and the Italian mainland.  Due to their unique volcanic origins and landscapes, these islands have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage natural site.