THE ORIGIN
Case Santa Barbara is a traditional Sicilian mountain refuge built in lava stone in the early '900. The place, over the years has been used as a shelter by the “Nivaroli” people who preserved and collected the snow in the adjacent cave.
Known and used in recent times by local hikers, the building is acquired by Etna Republic in 2021 and converted it into a managed mountain refuge, unique of its kind in the Etna landscape. Today the Santa Barbara Refuge becomes an info point at an altitude of 1750 AMSL and is entrusted to the homonymous group of Alpine and Volcanological Guides. The main part of the rural house, managed by the Rifugio Santa Barbara guides, is a starting point for tours, a spartan but comfortable place for authorized overnight stays and avissuton area used for activities and events to enhance the culture of the mountain. The old annex woodshed is converted into a bivouac and remains open to all those who want to use the space in respect of the place and common sense.
The refuge can be easily reached from the locality Piano Vetore in Ragalna at 1780 meters above sea level and it is on the Etna trail named “Monte Nero degli Zappini", cataloged by the Etna Park. The path is not particularly difficult and is one of the tours organized by the Rifugio guides.