The context

The Aeolian Islands, where volcanoes were first studied

The Aeolian Islands are formed of seven volcanic islands and are located in the South Tyrrhenian Sea, opposite the coasts of Sicily and Calabria.
Cartina geografica Isole EolieTheir volcanic origin, but above all the continuous activity of some islands, visible even from the mainland, make them a unique place where we can admire new “Earth” that is created with different shapes and colours.
The Aeolian Islands were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Australia in 2000, for their volcanological and geological interest. In fact, these islands are where volcanology was born.
To grasp the extent of the Aeolian Islands’ importance, we need only consider that one of its islands, Vulcano, gave its name to all the volcanoes in the world. In volcanology, two of the main eruption types , “Strombolian” and “Vulcanian”, took their name from Vulcano and Stromboli because these islands are the best place to observe the two types of eruptions.
Though formed by volcanoes, the Aeolian Islands are all different from one another. In fact, the magma has created many combinations of colours, shapes and objects, making each island unique.

Filicudi: small island, big history

Lipari at the centre of Mediterranean history

Myths and legends about volcanoes

Lipari Castle, “fused” with lava

Lipari, where history intertwines with volcanoes to create archaeology

Alicudi, where time has stood still

At the heart of trade in history

The hidden part of the Aeolian Islands

The Sciara del Fuoco

The polis of the living and the necropolis of the dead

The prehistoric village of Cala Junco

The fumaroles of the port of Vulcano

The Cathedral of Lipari and the Norman Cloister of the Benedictine Monastery

The pure white of the pumice quarries

Wine, oil and capers, masterpieces of nature and launching pad of the Aeolian economy

The senses tell Alicudi

Volcanoes

The senses tell The prehistoric village of Cala Junco

The senses tell The summit craters

The Gran Cratere of the Fossa

The Village of Capo Graziano

Pollara, between poetry and beauty

Stromboli, the volcano that breathes

Seven islands with different faces

Panarea, the island of Stacks

The senses tell the Lipari Castle

The Aeolian Islands, where volcanoes were first studied

The Stacks of Panarea

The salt lake of Lingua

The summit craters

Where do Vulcano’s gases come from?

The senses tell The Gran Cratere of the Fossa

Seven islands, dozens of volcanoes

The ancient production of salt

Salina, the green island with twin mountains

The malleability of Vulcano’s mud

The senses tell the port of Vulcano

The senses tell The Stacks of Panarea

Filicudi, a submerged paradise

Vulcano, the most famous volcano in the world