Lava stone and red coral painting – Mt. Etna

This is a refined handmade painting inspired by the Sicilian identity.

It respects and strives to preserve the soul of “Sicilianity” combining some “natural precious stones” from Sicily such as the red coral from the Mediterranean Sea and lava stones from Mt. Etna.

This typically Sicilian artwork is entirely handmade with love in Sicily by the hands of expert craftsmen.

It is graceful, elegant, and emanates a strong sense of passion for Sicily.

Red coral

According to Greek mythology, coral originated from the blood of Medusa, one of three Gorgons, killed by Perseus. The sea nymphs stole some drops of her blood, which on contact with seawater, turned into coral.

For centuries coral’s mythological origins have possessed features which have portrayed it as a controlling symbol of life and regeneration as well as a talisman against evil forces.

Sicilian coral has its roots in an exceptional historical parenthesis linked to the emergence in 1875 of a volcanic island from the depths of the Mediterranean Sea, later called Ferdinandea. The island, now submerged, is located off the Mediterranean sea between Sciacca and Pantelleria.

Lava stones

Mt. Etna, the largest volcano in Europe, was recently added to the World Heritage list and has been defined as one of the “most emblematic and active volcanoes in the world” by UNESCO.
At the base of the volcano basaltic blocks are extracted for the manufacturing industry as well as for artistic decorations.
The basalt from Mt. Etna derives from the cooling and slow solidification of Etna’s lava and is dark, gray or blackish in color.
It is a natural product that is extracted in all the villages of the province of Catania affected by the volcano’s lava flows.
The ancient Romans surmised that the characteristics of this particular stone was exceptionally resistant to wear and tear, and used it for the construction of roads and artistic artifacts.