Video: Italy's Mount Etna volcano erupts, lighting up night sky Mount Etna, Europe's highest active volcano sent plumes of ash and lava into the night sky on the island of Sicily. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology has recently registered increased explosive activity by the volcano, Italy's Civil Protection agency said. There are several inhabited villages on the slopes of Mount Etna. Eruptions are not infrequent, and Italian airliners sometimes have to alter their routes to avoid flying through ash clouds. Tuesday's eruption did not cause any interruption to air traffic at the airport serving the nearby town of Catania, according to reports.