There are four active non-submarine Italian volcanos:

There was a submarine eruption a few kilometres North East of Pantelleria, which lies between Sicily and Tunisia, in 1891. Pantelleria itself probably last erupted around 3000 years ago.

The short-lived Isola Ferdinandea was erupted a few kilometres North West of Pantelleria and rose to a maximum height of 63 metres in 1831, but was quickly eroded back down to sea level by 1835 and the top is now 25 metres below the surface.

Other Italian volcanos have erupted within very recent geologic history, and are probably dormant.

  • Ischia is an island 20 kilometres West of Naples, and last erupted in 1302.
  • Lipari, an island a couple of kilometres from Vulcano has a volcano which last erupted in 729.
  • Monte Nuovo, in the Campi Flegrei caldera a few kilometres North of Naples erupted in 1538.
  • Vulcanello is a small volcano connected by an isthmus to the island of Vulcano, and was erupted out of the sea in 183 BC and showed occasional activity thereafter until the 16th century.

There is an ambiguous eye-witness account which may describe an eruption in 114 BC of Monte Albano near Rome, although geological evidence is for the last eruption occuring 22000 years ago.