TheAeolian Islands (/iːˈoʊliən/ee-OH-lee-ən;Italian:Isole Eolie[ˈiːzoleeˈɔːlje];Sicilian:Ìsuli Eoli), sometimes referred to as theLipari Islands orLipari group (/ˈlɪpəri/LIP-ər-ee,Italian:[ˈliːpari]) aftertheir largest island, are avolcanicarchipelago in theTyrrhenian Sea north ofSicily, said to be named afterAeolus, the mythical ruler of the winds.[1] The islands' inhabitants are known as Aeolians (Italian:Eoliani). The islands had a permanent population of 14,224 at the 2011 census; the latest official estimate is 15,419 as of 1 January 2019. The Aeolian Islands are a popular tourist destination in the summer and attract up to 600,000 visitors annually.
The Aeolian Islands are 30 to 80 kilometres (19 to 50 mi) off the north coast of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Vulcano is located closest to the Sicilian coast. Lipari and Salina follow to the north, Filicudi and Alicudi to the west, and Panarea and Stromboli to the northeast. In addition to these seven inhabited islands, there are a number of smaller, uninhabited islands and rocky cliffs, such asBasiluzzo,Strombolicchio,Dattilo [it] andLisca Bianca [it].
The largest island is Lipari (37.5 km2 [14.5 sq mi]), followed by Salina (26.8 km2 [10.3 sq mi]), Vulcano (21.2 km2 [8.2 sq mi]), Stromboli (12.6 km2 [4.9 sq mi]), Filicudi (9.5 km2 [3.7 sq mi]) and Alicudi (5.2 km2 [2.0 sq mi]). The smallest island, at 3.4 km2 (1.3 sq mi), is Panarea. The highest elevation of the Lipari Islands isMonte Fossa delle Felci [it] on Salina, which reaches a height of 962 m (3,156 ft).[2]
The Aeolian Islands (part of Salina, Lipari, and Vulcano) seen from space.
The seven Aeolian Islands, covering an area of 1,600 km2 (620 sq mi), originated in theTyrrhenian Basin, a great plain at the bottom of theTyrrhenian Sea. Emissions of lava from depths of up to 3,600 m (11,800 ft) resulted in the formation of the Aeolian Islands, together withUstica and a series ofsubmarine volcanoes named Magnani, Vavilov,Marsili andPalinuro, as well as two that are unnamed.
The present shape of the Aeolian Islands is the result ofvolcanic activity over a period of 260,000 years. There are two active volcanoes –Stromboli andVulcano.[3] Steamingfumaroles andthermal waters are on most of the islands. The volcanic activity has also left the islands with a very fertile soil that is beneficial in the growth of naturalflora.[4]
View from Vulcano, Lipari in the middle, Salina at the left, Panarea at the right
Curbingurban development has been a key in preserving the Aeolian islands in a natural state. New buildings are severely restricted. Existing residences can be bought and restored but they must be constructed to resemble its whitewashed houses. Traditional houses consist of modular cubes[6] constructed from indigenous building materials like stone, lava, pumice, and tufo. Almost all houses have a huge outdoor terrace, usually shaded by grape and flowering vines.
InHomer's epic poem, theOdyssey,Aeolus, son ofHippotes, was the divine keeper of the winds and king of the mythical, floating island of Aeolia. He kept the violent winds locked safely away inside the interior of his isle, releasing them only at the command of greatest gods to wreak devastation upon the world.[7]
The hero of the epic poem,Odysseus, on his travels to return home fromTroy, visited Aiolos' isle and was entrusted with a bag containing all of the winds to ensure a safe voyage home. However, during the trip, the hero's companions opened the bag and the escaping winds carried their ship all the way back to Aiolos' shore.[8]
The first evidence of Sicilian migration was in Lipari (Castellaro Vecchio culture [it]).[9] The manufacture and commerce ofobsidian objects was highly developed until the introduction ofmetals.[10]
During theBronze Age, the Aeolians prospered by means of maritime commerce in an area which extended fromMycenae to theBritish Isles, from where tin was imported. Villages on the Aeolian islands flourished on Capo Graziano (Filicudi), Castello (Lipari), Serro dei Cianfi (Salina), Capo Milazzese (Panarea), and Portella (Salina). All these settlements were destroyed by newItalic invasions in 1250 BC.[11]
The islanders were allies of theCarthaginians againstRome during thePunic Wars. Although theBattle of the Lipari Islands in 260 BC led to a Carthaginian victory, the Romans later sacked Lipari and their domination led to a period of poverty.[14]
TheNorman conquest of Sicily from the Emirate of Sicily in 1061 resulted in the annexation of the islands.Roger II of Sicily sent theBenedictine monks toLipari, which gave rise to considerable development on the islands. A cathedral dedicated toSaint Bartholomew was built, as well as the Benedictine monastery in the castle. In 1208Frederick II ofSwabia acceded to the throne of theKingdom of Sicily. The period of prosperity which followed, ended with the domination of theAngevins and the rebellion of the Sicilians which culminated in the revolt of theSicilian Vespers. The Aeolians however, remained loyal toCharles of Anjou, and commercial links were established withNaples, the capital of the Angevin kingdom. In 1337Lipari opened its gates to the French fleet without resistance, and in return obtained various commercial and fiscal benefits.[15] In the mid-15th century, Naples andPalermo united into theKingdom of the Two Sicilies under the crown ofAlfonso V of Aragon.
On June 30, 1544, a fleet of 180Ottoman vessels under the command of thecorsairHayreddin Barbarossa occupied Lipari and laid siege to the castle. The defenders surrendered. Historically, it is said around 9,000 of the 10,000 citizens of Lipari were captured and enslaved although a couple of more recent scholars have questioned this number arguing for a lower population at the time of Barbarossa.[16] A number of citizens were ransomed inMessina and returned to the islands but most of those captured never returned. Only after the tragedy did the Spanish authorities turn their attention to Lipari and repopulate the city with Sicilian, Calabrian and Spanish families. The city walls and houses were rebuilt and an Aeolian fleet was constructed which was able to successfully defend theTyrrhenian Sea from the Ottomans.
In 1693, anearthquake destroyed all the towns in eastern Sicily, causing around 60,000 deaths.[17] After the population invoked the protection ofSaint Bartholomew during prayers in thecathedral, there was not a single victim on the Aeolian Islands. The economic conditions of the islands improved greatly during the 17th century with agricultural progress (malvasia grapes),capers, and a variety of fruit, vegetables and fishing). With theBourbons came the introduction of criminal and political prisoners to the islands. In 1916, the penal colony was closed, but theFascist regime unsuccessfully tried to reopen it in 1926. The island population reacted by pulling down the remains of the ex-penitentiary in the castle. However, not long after, the castle was converted to accommodate anti-Fascist political prisoners in enforced exile. Liparians fraternised with these exiles until theAllies' liberation. After the war, the same room that had housed the opponents of Fascism became theAeolian Archaeological Museum [it].
Towards the end of the 19th century, the Aeolian Islands were visited byArchduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria—a friend of the islands and also a man with a profound knowledge of the archipelago. Between the years 1893–96 he published a work of eight volumes on the Aeolian Islands.[18]
In August 1888, the crater named Fossa on Vulcano erupted and caused many deaths in thesulphur mines. The eruptions continued for 19 months.
On New Year's Day in 1909, a rumour appeared in international newspapers that the Aeolian Islands had been "swallowed up by the sea" during a time of volcanic activity.[19] While communication with the islands was interrupted for a time,[20] they were not otherwise inconvenienced.
The Aeolian Islands were listed byUNESCO in 2000 as aWorld Heritage Site for providing "an outstanding record of volcanic island-building and destruction, and ongoing volcanic phenomena".[25] Status as a World Heritage Site was threatened by Italy's failure to close the pumice quarry as well as its failure to prevent the building of 4 new harbours.[26] However, as of 2020[update], it is still listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.[27]
^Homer,Odyssey 10.1–12 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
^Luigi Bernabò Brea, Madeleine Cavalier (Eds.). (1980). Meligunìs Lipára IV. L’acropoli di Lipari nella preistoria. Palermo: Flaccovio.
^Martinelli, Maria & Vianello, Andrea. (2019). Lipari (Aeolian Islands) Obsidian in the Late Neolithic. Artifacts, Supply and Function. Open Archaeology. 5. 46-64. 10.1515/opar-2019-0005.
Berlinghieri, Castagnino E.F. (with introduction by A. J. Parker) (2003)The Aeolian Islands: crossroads of Mediterranean maritime routes. A survey on their maritime archaeology and topography from the Prehistoric to the Roman periods, British Archaeological Reports, International Series 1181, Oxford.
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