- NOVEMBER 1978: various eruptive vents opened. One of these, located at 1.650 meters of altitude on the South-East flank, emits a lava flow that arrives close to Zafferana Etnea. 

- NOVEMBER 1979: a crater stopper explodes inside the Bocca Nuova crater, launching bombs that fall on a group of Italian hikers accompanied by authorized guides. Nine people died and 30 were wounded. 
 
- MAY 1983: for the first time, a lava flow is diverted by using explosives. During 47 days, lava has destroyed forests, campaigns, buildings. 

- DECEMBER 1985: during Xmas night the volcano did not explode but only sneezed. An earthquake caused the partial collapse of a hotel located at a high level on Etna and the death of a customer. Four days after, the eruption began and the magma flows inside the Valle del Bove, far away from the inhabited locations. 

- OCTOBER 1986: a new eruptive phase, associated with quakes, will last approximately 4 months, until the end of February 1987. The bombs are expelled to an height of 150 meters and the lava flows towards the Valle del Bove and Valle del Leone. There was an indirect victim: a teenager felt in a ravine while it was approaching the Valle del Bove. 

- APRIL 1987: around (3 km) the SE crater, bombs expelled by an unexpected explosion hit a group of tourists causing two died and seven wounded. 

- DECEMBER 1991: preceded by 100 weak quakes (tremors) centered on the summit area of Etna, a lava flow went down from a fracture opened in the SE crater. Lava reached 2700 meters of altitude in the Valle del Bove. It was one of the biggest eruptions of the last three centuries. Eruption will last 473 days and will stop on 1st April 1993. Lava will flow on a large distance and volume of eruptive material will be high (± 250 million m3). On 27 May 1992, the Civil Protection saves Zafferana Etnea by slowing down the lava flow after having used explosives and launched concrete blocks inside the effusive source vent(s).  
 
- JULY 1998: two earthquakes occurred on the southern flank. They were followed by lava fountains associated with explosions and roars. These last ones generated an ash plume of 1.500 meters high while some areas of Etna were wrapped by ash. 

- JULY 2001: several lava flows went down from various eruptive vents appeared on the S flank (near La Montagnola, Mte Calcarazzi (alt. 2100 m)) and reached the Valle del Bove. Lava threatened again the Sapienza shelter and days after the restaurant "the Capannina".