Mount Etna in Sicily erupts on March 11, 1669, causing significant destruction to nearby towns. The catastrophic event lasted for about four months destroying a large portion of Catania, Sicily, with a reported death toll as high as 20,000.
Some contemporary accounts suggest less fatalities despite the massive destruction. The eruption produced the longest lava flow in recorded history for Etna, burying the city and filling the moat of the Ursino Castle before entering the sea.
