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Aeolian Islands - Aeolian Colours

To the north-east of Sicily there lies a corner of paradise where the mystery of nature is reflected seven times in the purest of waters. You feel as though you were admiring something belonging to the very beginning of creation: the seven islands of the Aeolian archipelago rise out of the sea like seven huge chunks of volcanic land anchored somewhere in the depths of the sea. The islands have been praised and immortalised by writers and artists and by great travellers of the past such as Dumas, the Archduke Luigi Salvatore of Austria (from the Tuscan branch of the house of Hapsburg-Lorraine), Deodat de Dolomieu, Spallanzani and many others, who all described them in wildly imaginative and evocative tones.

The seven islands were originally formed 700,000 years ago, partly due to the lifting of the sea bed during the Quaternary period, and even today they remain an important source of geological knowledge, a veritable natural workshop where the evolution of our planet can be studied at first-hand. Primordial fires and the ancient clash between the elements have created an extraordinary coastline with grottoes, rocks, obelisks, isolated crags, smooth rock walls and black beaches that enfold a sea still abounding in fish. The volcanic earth is extremely fertile and all of these islands were at one time covered with ilex and oak woods and impenetrably thick Mediterranean vegetation that have mainly been transformed into agricultural land, especially over the past two centuries. The difficulty of communication in the past between the islands and the mainland meant that they needed a totally self-sufficient food supply, which is what has detemined the division of cultivable land into fields, often by means of dry-stone walls and terracings built manually by generations of rural workers. Today, the appearance of the agricultural land has changed, for the olive, almond, fig and caper trees and the vineyards that all took the place of the maquis now play a much smaller part in the local economy. In recent times, however, there has been a noticeable return to agriculture on the part of local inhabitants, some of whom who have again begun cultivating the abandoned vineyards and producing wine, while others produce home-made preverves and foods in olive oil.

The lava that created the seven islands was probably also indispensable for the building of the earliest Aeolian houses that remain a characteristic feature of the landscape; they are very basic cube-shaped dwellings built either side by side or one above the other, according to the needs of individual families. They were made with very small openings for doors and windows and very thick walls so as to retain the heat produced in the kitchen or on simple braziers in winter and to keep the interior cool in summer. The foundations were made with blocks of lava and the walls with pumice stone, while tufa was used for making the floors of the terraces. Every part of the building played a direct functional part in the domestic economy: for example, the “astrico” - the terraced roof – was used as a catchment area for rainwater, which flowed down into the underground egg-shaped cisterns. The entrance to the house opened onto the “bagghiu”, a terrace covered either by a vine or by a cane roof supported by large cylindrical stone pillars covered with plaster (“pulera”). The “bagghiu” always had a long stone seat and close to this were the mouth of the cistern and the wash-house. Even today, the Aeolian Islands offer natural environments that exude harmony and tranquillity; like the writers and artists who made the islands famous worldwide, tourists are attracted by the extraordinary natural beauty and by the many traces of bygone days. Indeed, you can actually visit the remains of prehistoric settlements, climb up the slopes of active volcanoes and get a close-up view into the craters, walk along the pathways through the Mediterranean maquis to reach places of wild beauty where falcons, buzzards and ravens can still be seen, or visit ancient ruins or museums collections of worldwide renown. And then there are boat trips which offer unexpected glimpses of grottoes, isolated crags, cliffs and beaches composed of extremely fine volcanic sand.

All of the islands in the archipelago are becoming increasingly specialised in tourism; the great natural and cultural heritage of the largest island, Lipari, attracts many Italian and foreign visitors, who usually go on day trips to the other islands. Salina tends to attract families and couples, who have their own houses or rented accomodation or choose to stay in cosy romantic hotels. Panarea is the favourite island of Italian and foreign celebrities, who have restored many of the local houses, and it is a lively place full of light and colour, with its shops, hotels and fashionable night spots. By contrast, Vulcano attracts a host of young tourists; the more peaceful island of Filicudi suits those who wish to get away from the crowds but enjoy travelling around by boat or car and meeting up with their customary holiday friends in the evening. Alicudi is a truly special place and is suitable for purists; there are no roads or paths on the island, just an endless succession of stone steps leading up the slope of the volcano and connecting scattered clusters of authentic Aeolian houses that have been very well restored. The island has only one small restaurant and two well-stocked food shops. Finally, Stromboli is inhabited by people from Sicily and other parts of the world who have decided to live here in close contact with nature.

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