L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2024 L'Italo-Americano with only about 100 inhabi- tants. Finally, Panarea is s u r r o u n d e d b y t h e i s l e t s Basiluzzo, Dattilo, and Lisca Bianca. The archipelago is located about 12 nautical m i l e s f r o m C a p o M i l a z z o and can be reached by ferry or hydrofoil. The Greek origins of the i s l a n d n a m e s s e r v e a s a reminder of the significant and lasting influence of the G r e e k s , n o t o n l y i n t h e Mediterranean but also, as seen here, in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The seven islands primar- ily focus on maritime activi- ties, and despite their small p o p u l a t i o n s , t h e y h o s t a variety of festivals and cele- b r a t i o n s t h a t d r a w m a n y t o u r i s t s t h r o u g h o u t t h e year. Like other small Sicil- ian islands, they honor St. Bartholomew, the patron saint of sailors. On Lipari, he is celebrated twice: on February 13 and March 5. The February celebration, dedicated to the fishermen's fertile) or Meliganìs (sug- gesting honey), or perhaps from the French word libe, meaning a "block of stone." S a l i n a , h o m e t o t h e Faraglione rock, was known in ancient Greek as Didyme (double, twin) due to its two main mountains. Today, the name refers to a small salt lake once used as a salt pan. Vulcano, the island closest to Sicily, was called Hierà (sacred) by the Greeks, as it w a s d e d i c a t e d t o t h e g o d Hephaestus, known as Vul- can to the Romans. Strom- b o l i , f r o m t h e a n c i e n t G r e e k w o r d f o r r o u n d , i s famous for its active volcano and the Sciara del Fuoco ("stream of fire"), a lava flow that can be admired from the sea. It also includes the small Strombolicchio islet. Then we have Filicudi, whose ancient Greek name evokes the dwarf palm and the color purple, and Alicu- di, derived from the Greek Ericodés (heather), which is the least populated island, St. Bartholomew, features the "banner auction," during which the banner is carried in procession, followed by an auction among fishing families, with the proceeds going to the church. The day concludes with a traditional r e l i g i o u s p r o c e s s i o n a n d fireworks. In March, for the farmers' St. Bartholomew, there is another procession, this time with traditional costumes and fireworks. The Aeolian Christmas is also full of events, with visi- tors invited to participate in a live nativity scene, while at the Church of the Souls in Purgatory in Marina Corta, a s p e c i a l " N a t i v i t y o f t h e Sea" is set up. From Sep- tember 5-8, the 24th edition of the Festival of the Two Seas will be held at the Cas- t l e T h e a t r e , f e a t u r i n g a series of captivating perfor- mances. Religious festivities are c e l e b r a t e d y e a r - r o u n d across the islands, including Easter, Palm Sunday, and Carnival, with parades of masked groups and floats. On Good Friday, the varette procession takes place, with ancient statues carried by confraternities, followed by a m u s i c a l b a n d . I n J u n e , vintage cars parade through for the Gattopardo Trophy, culminating in tastings of local delicacies. Summer in the Aeolian Islands is fur- ther enriched by theatrical and cinematic festivals, with s c r e e n i n g s a n d p e r f o r - m a n c e s . A r t e x h i b i t i o n s , local food festivals—such as the sweet festival, the bread and wine festival, and the squid festival—are also key events. Particularly note- worthy is the caper festival held on the first Sunday of June, celebrating the flower- ing of capers, a prized Aeo- lian product, alongside tast- i n g s o f c u c u n c i ( c a p e r berries). In the same month, the Troisi Memorial takes p l a c e , i n h o n o r o f t h e b e l o v e d a c t o r M a s s i m o Troisi, whose role in the film Il Postinomade the island of Salina famous worldwide. A f t e r e x p l o r i n g t h e unique lifestyle and charac- teristics of the Aeolian arch- ipelago, the only thing left is to visit them—perhaps one per day. After all, there are seven, just like the days of the week. tributing to their economic prosperity. Since 2000, the Aeolian Islands have been part of the UNESCO World Her- itage list, thanks primarily t o t h e i r v o l c a n i c o r i g i n s , which represent an impor- tant model for global vol- c a n o l o g y r e s e a r c h . T h e islands have been the sub- j e c t o f i n - d e p t h s t u d i e s since the 18th century, con- tributing greatly—and con- tinuing to contribute—to the education of geologists. The National Institute of Geo- physics and Volcanology in Catania constantly monitors the volcanic activity of the islands. A s m e n t i o n e d e a r l i e r , there are seven islands, and their names, from largest a n d m o s t p o p u l a t e d t o smallest, are: Lipari, the capital of the archipelago, with about 10,700 inhabi- tants and an area of 37.6 square kilometers. Its name d e r i v e s f r o m t h e a n c i e n t Greek Lipàra (meaning fat, I t is well known that t h e n u m b e r s e v e n h o l d s s o m e t h i n g magical. It is a sym- bol of hope, a bearer of good fortune, and in the Christian religion, it repre- sents perfection and com- pleteness: seven are the days of creation, seven the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and seven the beatitudes. A number filled with spirituality, it is associated with intellect and knowledge, with the search for truth and with luck. The same is true in the Jewish religion, where the menorah, the Jewish candelabrum, has seven branches, and seven are the circuits of the Ark of the Covenant. The number also carried great signifi- cance in medieval esoteri- cism, and in China, it is the l u c k y n u m b e r p a r e x c e l - lence, especially concerning love. On the seventh day of t h e s e v e n t h m o n t h o f t h e Chinese lunar calendar, the festival of lovers is celebrat- ed. S i c i l y also has its own "magical seven," though in this case, it is neither eso- teric, religious, nor supersti- tious. Known as "the seven pearls," they are the Aeo- l i a n I s l a n d s ( o r L i p a r i Islands), located off Sicily's n o r t h e r n c o a s t . S o m e o f these islands can even be seen from Palermo, particu- larly from the peak of Mount Pellegrino, though the quick- est way to reach them is by departing from the port of Milazzo in the province of Messina. Their history is ancient: the islands were once under- water volcanoes that sur- faced around 700,000 years a g o . O v e r t h e m i l l e n n i a , n u m e r o u s e r u p t i o n s g a v e rise to pumice and obsidian, two materials of vastly dif- f e r e n t c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s . Pumice, so light it floats, is still used today in cosmetics, while obsidian, known for its razor-sharp edges, was once f a s h i o n e d i n t o t h e f i r s t blades for primitive tools and weapons. Both materials became valuable trade com- modities, and their exchange w i t h o t h e r c i v i l i z a t i o n s t u r n e d t h e i s l a n d s i n t o a vital hub of commerce, con- TERESA DI FRESCO The Seven Pearls of the Tyrrhenian Sea Lipari, the old town church (Photo Alexander Nikiforov/Dreamstime) and, bottom left, the Church of Saint Joseph on the island of Salina (Photo: Pecci Roberto/Dreamstime) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS PEOPLE ACTIVITIES

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