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The Aeolian Islands archipelago
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Lipari.
The town of Lìpari has the best facilities of all the urban centres in the Aeolian Islands. It is located at the centre of the Monte Rosa headland. It was inhabited in the Neolithic Age and in the Bronze Age. The village of Meliguni, a1so known as Lipara, developed under the Greeks, and continued to prosper under the Romans. The Normans established an Archbishopric here. Throughout the Middle Ages and until modern times, it was a fortified town characterized by a powerful boundary wall and a massive castle. That is Lipari's history in a nutshell, although it is in fact much more complex. The first settlement on the island has been found at Castellaro Vecchio, in the Quattropani plateau (alt. 450 m). This dates from the 5th millennium BC. The Contrada Diana plain was inhabited in the 3rd millennium. The baths of San Calogero, if we are to give credit to a still extant fragment of a Mycenaean building, were already in use in that age, i.e. long before the Greeks arrived. The acropolis and the surrounding area date from the Greek period, when a powerful fleet was built with which the inhabitants of Lipari finally defeated the Tyrrhenian and Etruscan pirates who sowed terror along their coasts. An ally of Syracuse in the Peloponnesus War, Lipari suffered numerous raids by the Athenians. It was later attacked and conquered by the Carthaginians, and then ransomed; the economic and commercial power of the inhabitants continued however to grow, until Lipari eventually dominated the southern Tyrrhenian. During the First Punic War, Lipari, allied with Carthage, suffered the consequences of the Carthaginian defeat in the great Battle of the Aeolian Islands (257 BC), and it was completely destroyed by the Romans (252 BC). A long period of decline then followed, even if the thermal waters of Lipari and Vulcano continued to be famous throughout the Imperial Age. The information that the ancient historians give us of this age is fragmentary and confusing. Lipari was fought over by Octavian and Sextus Pompey, and it was conquered in 36 BC by Octavian's admiral, Agrippa. Mediaeval Lipari spread around the Cathedral, which from the 6th c. was an archbishopric, where the relics of St Bartholomew were worshipped. Under the Arabs the inhabitants were deported in great numbers: the Aeolian Islands, and in particular Lipari, were depopulated. It was not until the arrival of the Normans that there was another economic and cultural revival. A group of Benedictine monks in Lipari founded a monastery and an abbey around which the town once again developed. In 1131 the Abbey was raised to the status of an archbishopric, together with the city of Patti. Caught up in the conflict between Angevins and Aragonese Lipari was conquered by RobertI, King of Naples. This was followed by a period of prosperity for the inhabitants. The walls were fortified, and the Convent of the Frati Minori was built, together with other neighbouring houses. Butin 1544, the pirate Khair Ad- Din, also known as Ariadeno Barbarossa (Redbeard), conquered the town, burnt it down and deported all the inhabitants. The Spanish viceroy immediately ordered that the walls should be rebuilt, with reinforcements and new structures, and he also promoted the repopulation of the island, by offering special privileges to newcomers. The island began to be repopulated on a wide scale. The earthquake in 1783, after all the destruction it caused, led to widespread urban reconstruction (the town was further extended in the late 19th c.). In 1930, the boundary wall was cut through to form a direct means of access from the piano to the Castello, where today we can see the Cathedral and other churches, as well as the Museum and an archaeological zone of great interest.
If we arrive by hydrofoil, at Marina Corta, we immediately see on the quayside the 13th c. Chiesa dele Anime del Purgatorio. If we land from the ferry, at Sotto Monastero, we are near the baroque Chiesa di Sant' Antonio. From either of these churches a short walk takes us to the so-called Castello, which is a great natural fortification, in a fine position high on a terrace that drops sheer into the sea. This is the site of the acropolis of the ancient city, which had a regular layout with decumani running NS and perpendicular EW cardines. The massive 16th c. city wall can still be seen; it incorporates the remains of a 4th-3rd c. BC Greek tower and exhibits some traces of 13th and 14th c. fortifications. Inside the boundary wall, in the upper part of the town, stands the Cathedral, built in 1084 by the Normans, who established an archbishopric here. It was completely refashioned in the 17th c. The frescoes and the stuccos in the interior are 18th c. Among the paintings one particularly worth seeing is the Transit of the Virgin Mary, attributed to Polidoro da Caravaggio (16th c.). The Chiesa dell'Immacolata (15th c.) and the Chiesa dell' Addolorata are near the Cathedral. The entire area within the walls has been carefully explored in a systematic series of excavations which has brought to light a considerable amount of extremely important material, not only as regards our knowledge of the history of the Aeolian Islands but also with reference to the various cultural faces that succeeded each other in the course of the millennia, from the Neolithic until the Middle Ages. The Archaeological Museum. The very interesting Aeolian Archaeological Museum is located in some rooms of the Castello and the Archbishop's Pa1ace, and in some other rooms that have been added. The Museum displays material not only from Lipari but also from the other islands in the archipelago and from the surrounding area. The distribution of the material in the various rooms reflects the most up-to-date criteria of museum display. The first section is devoted to prehistoric and protohistoric items from Lipari; all the phases of the Aeolian Neolithic are richly illustrated. This is followed by examples of the Protohelladic, and Mesohelladic, with typically decorated vases. The frequent contacts with the Aegean are attested by the numerous objects of Minoan or Mycenaean origin. The items belonging to the southern Apennines that are on display have suggested contacts between the Aeolian Islands and mainland Italy. A separate section contains numerous carved inscriptions found in the necropolises on Lipari. Leaving this first part of the Museum we find just opposite it the building which houses material from the other Aeolian Islands. In another building located between the Cathedral and the Youth Hostel is the Classical Archaeology Section, with a vast collection of pottery, tomb furnishings and other material, arranged chronologically from the l2th to the 3rd c. BC. The ground floor contains the Marine Archaeology Section, which is of great interest because of the enormous number of wrecks recovered in the area, together with the cargoes and equipment on board the ships. A separate building houses the Volcanology Section, which documents the phases of the geological formation of the Aeolian Islands and of Lipari, with illustrative panels and other easily understood informative material. The new town began to develop beyond the boundary walls around the l7th c. A vast area of great archaeological interest extends outside the town. A Neolithic village and a Greek-Roman necropolis have been brought to light at Contrada Diana. Besides its archaeological interest, Lipari has considerable scenic and naturalistic beauty, with its coasts, its sea and its inland areas, which can be admired either by taking a round-the island boat-trip or by driving around it.
Vulcano.
Vulcano is located north-east of Sicily and south of the island of Lipari. The island of Vulcano is made up of three volcanic units: Vulcanello (123 metres) in the north, coming from an eruption during II century B.C., it is linked with the island by a strip of land made up of lava flows. In the middle, you can find the Gran Crater or Volcanic Cone (385 metres) which is still active; in the south there is the Mount Aria (499 metres), inactive, it is the top summit of the island.Vulcano is a very interesting island due to its volcanic and post-volcanic phenomena. Its plateau, the widest of the Aeolian Islands, is surrounded by hills, falling towards the sea. Vulcanello is made up of three lined-up craters in direction North-East/South-West. Vulcanello is constantly monitored by the Institute of Volcanology of the University of Catania. The island of Vulcano counts around 450 inhabitants who are involved in tourism and viticulture.
In ancient times, Vulcano was considered by Greeks as an island sacred to Efesto (god of volcanoes) because it was supposed that in the fire island gods forged their weapons. Legends describe the crater of Vulcano as the workshop in Efesto where Cyclops worked: the original name of the island was "Hierà" (sacred) or Hierà Ephaistou (sacred to Efesto). The intense volcanic activity of the island impressed famous historics such as Aristotele, Plinio and Senofane. Because of this activity, the island was not supposed to be inhabited since quite modern times. During the Roman domination till the Borbonic period, the island of Vulcano was exploited for its mineral resources (sulphur alum and wood). In 1860, the Scottish man Stevenson bought the northern part of the island, built his cottage and began the cultivation of grape. He continued the exploitment of the island until 1888 when a strong eruption destroyed his equipment and forced the Scottish man to leave the island. Nowadays, Vulcano is enjoying a great success: after the Second World War, the famous actress Anna Magnani played a movie on the island (opposite the movie "Stromboli" directed by Rossellini). Unlike the other islands, the main activities of the inhabitants of Vulcano are sheep-breeding and hunting: therefore you can find excellent cheese, as goat ricotta. Traditional dishes are ricotta fritters, spaghetti with ricotta, rabbit, sea slugs with tomato, onion and parsley.
Panarea.
Panarea is the smallest island of the archipelago. Its surface is 3,3 km² and it is located north-east of Lipari. The present island is just a part of the originary one because the greatest part sank in the sea after a volcanic eruption. The small islands (Basiluzzo, Dattilo, Lisca Bianca) and the islets (Bottaro, Lisca Nera, Panarelli and Le Formiche) belong to the same volcanic complex and represent a little archipelago on their own: they are detached in the surface but linked in depth. Panarea, like all the other islands, has a volcanic origin and it is pretty mountainous: its highest summit is Timpone (420 metres) called also "Punta Corvo". The western side of Panarea, with its harsh ground is very difficult to reach; the Eastern is full of terraces cultivated with corn and olives. In Cala Junco, you can find evidences of a pre-historical village, witnessing the old origin of the island.Panarea counts around 300 inhabitants almost all living in San Pietro, a port situated in the eastern side of the island. Panarea is one of the most enchanting islands of the archipelago and it is attended by an elite tourism for exclusive holidays. The islands own amazing sea beds for unforgettable diving.
The original name of Panarea was "Euonymos" (left) meaning that it is located eastern of Lipari towards Sicily. Other names were Panarion (destroyed), Pagnaria (cursed), Panaria (loose) and finally Panarea. Thanks to its excellent position and territory, the first inhabitants of the island appeared in the III century B.C. We have evidences of 23 huts witnessing the presence of a pre-historical village on the promontory of Capo Milazzese dating back to the middle Bronze Age (XV-XII century B.C.). In Basiluzzo traces of Roman times were found. The typical cookery of Panarea is based on the excellent fish daily caught and served. Among traditional dishes, you can find pasta seasoned with swordfish sauce; fried pasta with anchovies, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs. Among second courses you can find dried salted cods with capers, rosemary mullets, fish tomatoes. Traditional desserts are "spicchidedda" made up of wine and cloves, "munnuli cake" based on almonds and the Christmas cakes like "vastedduzzi" (or nacatuli) full of almonds, cinnamon, tangerine water and cloves.
Stromboli.
Stromboli is the northernmost of the Aeolian Islands: its territory is about 13 km and it counts about 450 inhabitants. The island is dominated by the impressive outline of the volcano and in its crater rim, you can see volcanic dents erupting lava flows. This moderate activity is not a danger for the inhabitants since magma flows down the Sciara del Fuoco. In 2002 a great eruption of lava made some rocks falling into the sea: their fall caused a tidal wave that ran over some of the Aeolian Islands. The coasts of the island of Stromboli are quite steep and there are few beaches. The main villages are Ginostra and Stromboli, whose inhabitants live mainly with fishing, viticulture, capers picking and above all tourism. The name of the island comes from "Strongyle" a word meaning "round, rounded".
Since from ancient times the activity of the volcano was well known and according to the legend, here there was the palace of god Aeolus. The colour of some corners of the islands remind of the images descript by Omero. In old times, Stromboli was a colony of Lipari, whose inhabitants went there just during sowing and harvest. Around XVI century B.C., the first settlement appeared close to the present church of St. Vincenzo. Stromboli was a very important port of call for boats crossing the Tyrrhenian Sea. After the birth of steamship, the island was less and less attended. At the beginning of XX century, Stromboli counted 5000 inhabitants, today because of emigration, the number decreased to 500. In 1949 Stromboli gained a new popularity thank to the movie "Stromboli", directed by Roberto Rossellini and played by his lover Ingrid Bergman. In their house in via Vittorio Emanuele, there is a plate witnessing their intense love story. The ingredients used are quite simple and local. The traditional dishes use anchovies, capers, olives and herbs: "Spaghetti alla strombolana" are made up of olives, capers, anchovies and pepper; "spaghetti al fuoco" based on aubergine, capers, onion, tomato, celery, olives; meatballs in fish stock with spoonbills, saurians, tomato, sea-fennel, caciocavallo cheese.
Alicudi.
Alicudi is one of the seven islands of the Aeolian Archipelagos. It is the farest, the western and the most lonesome. Alicudi belongs to Lipari municipality and counts around 200 inhabitants living in the village of Alicudi, located in the Easter area of the island. The formerly name of Alicudi was Ericusa, from a particular kind the grass "erica" very present in this island. Alicudi has a very old history: for centuries pirates made raid on it so people found a natural shelter called "Timpano delle Femmine" (Womens'eardrum). This name reminds the place where women stayed when pirates approached the island. For the same reason, the inhabitants of Alicudi built their houses on terraces halfway up the hill in the eastern part of the island.
Even if it is quite isolated, Alicudi enjoys a great success thanks to its amazing landscape and its coast. The only beach you can reach on foot is Alicudi Porto, the others just through the sea. Do not miss the boat trip across the island to enjoy the wonderful northern and western coasts. A period of time in Alicudi is surely a relaxing experience: no car noise will break the rest of your stay. Because of its remote placement, the island of Alicudi is a far-away corner from traffic and worldliness. There are no night clubs, pubs, pizzerias, newsstands or barber shops. There are only two grocer's shops, a bar restaurant and one hotel. We advice the boat trip through the island: you can enjoy breathless views such as Alicudi Porto, Scoglio della Galera with its crystal-clear water and Sciara dell'Arpa, a valley going down to the sea. Trip to Filo dell'Arpa (675 m.): it is the tallest top of Alicudi. You can reach it walking and you will enjoy an amazing view. The typical cookery of Alicudi, like all the Aeolian cuisine, is mainly based on fish. Among traditional dishes, we can find "spaghetti with sea urchins": spaghetti are seasoned with a sauce with sea urchins' eggs, capers, garlic and pepper. Another typical course is "linguine with almonds", a very peculiar receipt in which linguine are seasoned with a sauce based on almonds, garlic, tomato and basil.
Filicudi.
Filicudi is one of the Aeolian Islands and it is located between the island of Alicudi (west) and Salina (east). Its rocky and rough territory comes from a volcanic cone and its highest top is Mount Fossa Felci (774 metres) which is a dormant volcano. The coasts of Filicudi are made up of brown and red rock and are full of great cliffs such as "Faraglione La Canna" and "Scoglio della Fortuna". In Filicudi there are a lot of wonderful grottoes: the most amazing one is "Grotta del Bue Marino" (Seal). Alicudi Island counts around 300 inhabitants living in the three major villages: Filicudi Porto, the landing place of ferry-boats and hydrofoils, Pecorini a mare and, higher up, Valdichiesa linked by an asphalt road recently built. The economic life of the island is based on cultivation of capers and figs, fish and tourism.
Filicudi offers relax, excellent food and very interesting trips like the prehistorically village located in Capo Graziano (south-east of Filicudi) dating to the Bronze Age. Filicudi, whose original name was Phoenicusa, is so-called because of the large amount of ferns spreading all over the island. Like the others Aeolian Islands, Filicudi had been inhabitant from 3000 B.C. since pottery evidences had been found in Capo Graziano Montagnola and in the harbour of the port.We suppose that towards the end of 2000 B.C. there was a great centre in which lived the people of Eoli, who moved from the sea to the top of Montagnola of Capo Graziano, a safer place. After the destruction of the village, Filicudi had been deserted for many centuries until the Greek Age (VI-V century b.C.). In the eastern side of the port, rests of Roman houses and tombs in the rocks were found. All these findings witness the historical and cultural background of the island of Filicudi. The typical cookery of Filicudi, like all the Aeolian cuisine, makes a great use of herbs such as oregano, rosemary, garlic and basil. The most important element is fish, of course. You can taste "pulpiteddi'nto tia'nu"(stewed polyp), dried salted cod, stockfish, spicy fish soup. In Filicudi fish soup is made up of grouper, scorpion fish, polyps, squids, mussels, prawns, clams, tomato, garlic, white wine and red pepper.
Salina.
Salina is located north-west of Lipari and it is the second biggest and most populous island of the Aeolian Archipelago, after Lipari. The island counts around 2.200 inhabitants and it is made up of three municipalities: Santa Marina, in the eastern coast; Leni, up in the hills and Malfa, on the northern area. The name comes from the abundance of saltpans once located in the south-east area of the island. Salina, like the others Aeolian Islands, has a volcanic origin and there are two volcanic cones: Mount Fossa delle Felci (962 metres high a.s.l. and highest summit of all the Aeolian Islands) and Mount Porri (859 metres a.s.l.) connected by a mountain pass. The villages are linked by bus service till late evening. In Salina there are six volcanoes, whose last eruption dates back to 13.000 years ago. The main activities in Salina are the cultivation of grapes, oil, capers. Salina is the home of the well-known white wine Malvasia.
The original name of Salina was "Didyme" (twins) and comes from the two volcanoes presents in its territory. In its history, Salina enjoyed flourishing periods as well as periods of total neglect: i. e. during II century B.C., Salina was very populated, because of volcano's eruption in Lipari. Its history dates back to Bronze Age (evidences were found in Sciara Portella and Serra dei Cionfi). In the area of Serra dell'Acqua there were traces of an establishment of the VI-V century B.C. The traditional cuisine of Salina is based on fish and enriched with capers and olives. Traditional dishes are "spaghetti with olives and capers" with three particular kind of olives, local capers, garlic and pepper; roasted squids; "linguine al cartoccio" with sauce with mussels, clams and tomato: the dish is rolled up in silver paper like a candy. Typical products are Malvasia, a dessert wine very aromatic and capers.
Text taken from: Isole Lipari.it
Other main destinations in Sicily
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Other main destinations in Sicily are: Palermo - Monreale - Cefalù - Erice - Segesta - Selinunte - Agrigento - Piazza Armerina - Caltagirone - Siracusa - Taormina - Mount Etna - Catania
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Via Pulica s.n.
Lotto Colle del Gelsomino
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