The Villa Dorata Hotel is located in an evocative land of myth and nature, at an altitude of 1760 meters asl, just 500 m away from the Astronomical Observatory, and approximately 1 and a half km from Mount Etna’s main crater. Its guests can enjoy the privilege of a unique experience of body-mind relaxation, as well as a number of cultural and outdoors activities. Villa Dorata looks out onto sprawling vistas that span, to the SSW, the plain of Catania and Augusta, and SSE, the Enna province, backed by the endless Ionian Sea. The beautiful scenery is even lovelier at night, when adorned by an infinite sea of twinkling lights. Aside from enjoying the prestigious and comfortable facilities, guests will be immersed in an unparalleled historic-mythological environment. Etna was symbolically depicted in a sketch by Goethe for Faust. In the German poet’s own words, the whole area represents the place “where Good and Evil are inextricably bound”. Following this allegory, we can interpret Good as the sprawling vistas of prairies and colourful flora, while Evil is easily represented by the thousand-year-old lava formations, which, frozen in various horrid forms, have penetrated the surrounding fields, trees and brush, as a constant and tragic reminder of devastations both ancient and recent. The volcano is shrouded in mythology. Its stories have been expanded upon by people like Pindar, Aeschylus, Virgil and especially Homer, who elevated it to immortality thanks to legendary figures such as Polyphemus and Ulysses. Guests who want to lose themselves amongst the enchantments and beauty of this land will be treated to a holiday rich in history and mythology, complemented by the delicious delicacies of traditional gastronomy and the benefit of modern comforts.