In Romagna there is the smallest volcano in the world, it is the Monte Busca Volcano that, as its name suggests, is located on the eponymous mountain 740m high. More precisely, the volcano is in the hills of Romagna between Val Tramazzo and Val Montone, in the municipality of Tredozio. Precisely the place where it is located is called Inferno, a name more than apt.
The SMALLEST VOLCANO in the world is in ROMAGNA (Italy)
# Volcano or not?
monte busca volcano
It is not difficult to find the Monte Busca Volcano because, although there is no signage in the area, it is located on google maps. The Volcano is in a large field near a cottage and looks like a mass of stones from which flames emerge. It is so small that it seems as if someone had lit a bonfire and was ready to gather around to sing a song. In fact, actually, Monte Busca Volcano is a source of perpetual methane, which comes out of the ground and is kept on to avoid gas spills. It would therefore seem not to be a volcano, also because this does not always ignite autonomously. For example, when heavy rains occur, the locals turn the flame extinguished by water to avoid harmful gas leaks.
# The history of the Volcano
“After a mile away from Portico, you can see a place from the habitators of the village of Inferno, there is the black and ponderous earth, in which there is a hole 4 feet wide where there is a flame of fire” is how Leandro Alberti describes the Monte Busca Volcano in 1588. That means that the story of this methane spill is longer than you could think.
In 1939 they also tried to exploit the methane resource, Mussolini himself takes part to the inauguration of the Society Hydrocarbons Methane that used “the volcano” as a source. The field fell almost immediately into disuse, but Mount Busca Volcano was a great help to the inhabitants of the country during World War II, they used it as a fire to cook and to signal of presence.
BEATRICE BARAZZETTI
