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The
Aeolian archipelago
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ALICUDI
It is the archipelago's most
western island. The ancient name
of Ericusa is due to the rich
heather vegetation which covers
the island. The heather is part
of the islanders history and
life, being used to cover huts,
and to make pipes with the roots,
Alicudi is a roundish cone, the
top of which is the Filo
dell'Arpa peak, and it has a 5,2
km square area; The inhabitants,
Alicudari are 140 in number and
all live off fishing and a
little agriculture in the only
populated centre, Alicudi port.
Of volcanic origin, the island
was formed mostly by the dead
Montagnola volcano, formed
approximately 150.000 years ago
after explosive and effusive
eruptions. |
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FILICUDI
Anciently called Phoenicusa
(rich of ferns), together with Alicudi.
Filicudi
is geologically the oldest of
the Aeolian archipelagos's
islands; It has a 9,5 km square
area and its highest part is
773 metres above sea level at
the Fossa delle Felci. The
inhabitants called
Filicudari, are approximately
250 in number, living in the 3
main villages: Filicudi port;
Pecorini a mare and Val di
Chiesa. The island has a
slightly oval shape and extends
towards the south east at the
Capo Graziano promontory; a
small peninsula linked to the
main part of Filicudi by a strip
of Land: The island is made up
of the production of six
volcanic centres. |
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LIPARI
It is the largest of the Aeolian
archipelago's island having a 37,6 km
square area, and it is 24
nautical miles far from the
Sicilian coast. Its inhabitants,
called Liparesi or Liparoti, are
approximately 9000 in number and
are located in the town of
Lipari as well as in the small
villages of : Canneto, Acquacalda, Quattropani e
Pianoconte. With the exception
of
Salina, all the other islands
depend on Lipari
adminsitratively. Like all the
Aeolian archipelago, Lipari has
volcanic origins. The most
ancient part of Lipari is the
western one where between 160
thousand and 1340 thousand years
ago, 12 stratified volcanoes
came to life,among them
Timponi. After this intense
eruptive period, a long pause in
volcani activity followed.During
the second period, about 100
thousand years ago, the
stratified volcano Monte S.
Angelo was formed. The volcanoes of
the third period (40 thousand to
8 thousand years ago) erupted
pumice and formed a range of
peaks, such as Monte Guardia and Monte Giardina.
The eruptive activity restarted
after a long pause on the
northeast side with the
explosion of enormous quantities
of pumice which formed Monte
Pelato, and with the emission of
the obsidian fall of Rocche
Rosse (1200 years ago): Even
during the historic era, pumice
eruptions covered the Roman
remains of Contrada Diana and
Lipari Acropolis in the 1st and
5th century AC.
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PANAREA
Panarea, anciently called
Hycesia is the smallest of the
Aeolian archipelago's islands,
it has a surface of only 3,4 km
square and is 11,5 miles far
from Lipari . Its 280
inhabitants named panarioti,
live in three districts: Ditella,
S; Pietro and Drauto. Panarea is
surrounded by the islets of Basiluzzo, Dattilo, Bottaro,
Spinazzola and by the rocks of Lisca
Bianca, Lisca Nera, the Panarelli
and the Formiche. Scholars
believe that Panarea, and the
surrounding rocks and islets are
the remains of a very ancient
volcano, partially submerged in
water in the interglacial
periods. |
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SALINA
After Lipari, it is the second
largest island, approximately 27
km square. It is the highest,
with its mountain peaks
"Fossa delle Felci"
and "Monte dei
Porri", both inactive
volcanoes. From these two
mountains derives its ancient
name Didyme, meaning twins. Its
present name derives from a small lake, from which salt was
extracted (and then used for
caper and fish preservation). It
is also the second most
populated island after Lipari,
it has approximately 2.300 inhabitants.
The island is divided between
the autonomous towns : S. Marina, Malfa
and Leni. The hamlets are :
Lingua, Rinella, Val Di Chiesa,
Pollara e Torricella. Salina is
composed of six volcanoes. |
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STROMBOLI
The furthest and most easterly
of the Aeolian islands is
Stromboli, which is
approximately 22 miles from Lipari.
Ancient people called it
Strongyle, the rotunda. It has a
12,6 km square area and
approximately
420 inhabitants, called Strombolians.
Its active vulcanoe is 920
metres above sea level and the
sea bed is very deep (1200 m.). The
island is a volcano which
emerges from the sea. The
emerged part, in continuous
activity for at least 2000 years,
formed mainly during two
activity cycles. The ancient
cycle, composed of solid
material and lava fall eruptions,
formed all the eastern part of
the island. The recent
one, mainly composed of lava
flows, formed the whole western
part of the island. |
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VULCANO
The ancient Hiera (holy), once
home to the God of the Fire,
Hephaestus, is
the most southern of the Aeolian
archipelago's islands, and
the closest to Sicily. It
is separated from Lipari by a
channel approximately 1.6 km
wide. Its surface is 21 kmq.
From a geological point of view,
the island is composed of 4
vulcanoes : Lentia,
Vulcano Piano, Fossa di Vulcano
and Vulcanello. The only one
still to be considered active is
the Vulcano della Fossa. The
island's volcanic activity was
known in ancient times by the
Greeks and the Romans who were
very impressed by its Volcano's
eruptions which were
characterised by pyroclastic
materials. |
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