L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano S n 1 9 8 6 , w h e n Gaddafi launched m i s s i l e s f r o m L i b y a t o w a r d L a m p e d u s a , they fell into the sea just one mile from the coast. For a brief moment, there was real fear that the island and its inhabitants were in danger. The people of Lampedusa began to wonder what that attack might mean for their future. Fortunately, nothing e s c a l a t e d , a n d l i f e s o o n returned to normal. The resi- dents of the island, of Sicily, and of Italy as a whole could sleep soundly again, as com- mon sense prevailed over the warmongering instincts of a few. P a r a d o x i c a l l y , t h a t moment of geopolitical ten- s i o n b r o u g h t L a m p e d u s a unprecedented visibility. The media attention generated by the missile incident put the l a r g e s t o f t h e P e l a g i e Islands in the spotlight, and tourism numbers soon surged in a boom that has never real- ly stopped. The increase in visitors has coincided with another, very different phe- nomenon: the arrival of peo- ple fleeing intolerable situa- tions in their home countries. The irregular landings that take place mainly in summer, when the sea is calm, have at times caused difficulties for the island's residents. But Lampedusans, like all people who live by the sea, under- stand the dangers of being adrift on open waters. The instinct to help and rescue is deeply ingrained. These con- tinuous arrivals have not, however, stopped tourists from discovering and loving the island's beaches, its land- scapes, its inhabitants, and its r e l a x e d , s u m m e r y a t m o s - phere. Lampedusa's geography plays a big part in its charac- ter. Shaped like a long, nar- row strip of land, it lies in the middle of the Mediterranean, 130 miles (210 kilometers) from Sicily and only 94 miles (152 km) from Africa. Its wild terrain and fine sandy beach- es can make visitors feel as if they have crossed into anoth- er continent. The island's highest point, Albero Sole, rises to 436 feet (133 meters) and lies at 35°30′N, further south than Algiers, Tunis, or Valletta. The surrounding sea is a clear, brilliant turquoise that allows you to see the s e a b e d . O n e o f t h e m o s t f a m o u s v i e w s i s f r o m t h e beach facing Rabbit Island, a small island just off Lampe- dusa's coast. It is internation- ally known for its scenery and for the nesting of loggerhead turtles, which return each year to lay their eggs among t h e d u n e s , a r i t u a l o f t e n described as miraculous. It was on this stretch of coast, in his holiday home, that singer Domenico Modugno died on August 6, 1994. Several beaches are well known among Italians and visitors alike: Guitgia, Cala Croce, Cala Madonna, Cala G r e c a , C a l a G a l e r a , a n d Tabaccara Bay. Punta Parrino and Punta Sottile mark the s o u t h e r n m o s t p o i n t i n Europe, while Cala Francese has a wide beach close to the airport. At Capo Grecale, the lighthouse continues to guide sailors, standing near the inlet known as "Dead Sea B a y , " a f a v o r i t e s p o t f o r d i v e r s b e c a u s e o f i t s r i c h marine life. All around the island are many more coves, inlets, and caves, including a large sea cave at Punta Parise that can only be reached by s w i m m i n g a n d s h e l t e r s a small sandy beach inside. Lampedusa is part of the Pelagie archipelago together with Linosa and Lampione. Of the three, it is the largest. Interestingly, both Lampe- dusa and the tiny Lampione sit on the African tectonic plate, while Linosa belongs geologically to Sicily. The Lampedusa Island Nature Reserve, established in 1995, covers 367 hectares in the southern part of the island, i n c l u d i n g s t r e t c h e s o f Mediterranean scrub and beach environments. It pro- t e c t s p l a n t a n d a n i m a l species of exceptional natural value, many of which are sim- ilar to North African species and are endemic or endan- gered. The reserve is also part of the Pelagie Islands Marine Protected Area, created in 2002 by the Italian Ministry for the Environment. Although the island covers only 7.8 square miles (20.2 square kilometers), it con- tains three distinct land - scapes. The flat central area is steppe; the more remote val- leys are covered with mead- ow; and patches of garrigue appear along the northern inlets and slopes. Historical- ly, the fauna included deer, probably introduced by the T o m a s i p r i n c e s , b u t t h e y were extinct by the 1800s. Goats, also brought by the same family, were eradicated around 1847 because they damaged olive groves. The order came from Bernardo Maria Sanvisente, a naval officer who, in September 1843, formally took posses- s i o n o f L a m p e d u s a a n d Linosa on behalf of King Fer- dinand II of the Two Sicilies. Other mammals said to have o n c e l i v e d o n t h e i s l a n d , including wild boar, domestic cattle, and donkeys, have dis- appeared entirely. Today, wild rabbits, shrews, bats, and small rodents remain. Offshore, the waters host c o m m o n d o l p h i n s , f i n whales, sperm whales, and o t h e r m a r i n e s p e c i e s . Flamingos stop in the old harbor during their migration between April and Septem- b e r , w h i l e s h e a r w a t e r s , kestrels, peregrine falcons, r o c k d o v e s , a n d a l a r g e colony of yellow-legged gulls n e s t o n R a b b i t I s l a n d i n spring. Human presence has an e q u a l l y l a y e r e d h i s t o r y . Inscriptions in Greek are among the earliest traces, but f o r c e n t u r i e s t h e i s l a n d remained uninhabited, visit- ed intermittently by Phoeni- cians, Greeks, Romans, and Arabs. Under Arab rule, it had its own governor, Yusuf ben Aabar, and nearly a thou- sand inhabitants who fished and salted their catch, as recorded in the "Diplomatic Code of Sicily under Arab Government." In 1630, after a long period without settle- m e n t , t h e S p a n i s h c r o w n granted the title of Prince of Lampedusa and Linosa to Giulio Tomasi, ancestor of the author of The Leopard. French settlers arrived in 1760, followed by English and even Russian interest— P r i n c e G r i g o r y P o t e m k i n tried to purchase the island. Later it passed briefly into Maltese hands, leading to new colonization in 1810, though a plague outbreak in 1813 decimated the popula- tion. In the 1840s, Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies estab- lished a permanent settle- ment under Bourbon protec- tion. When Sicily joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, Lampedusa was annexed as part of the new state. In 2008, the Gateway to Europe was inaugurated: a ceramic and iron sculpture by artist Mimmo Paladino mea- suring five by three meters. It stands as a memorial to the m a n y m i g r a n t s w h o h a v e died or disappeared at sea, and to the role Lampedusa has played in receiving those who arrive on its shores. Lampedusa: the southernmost point of Italy and Europe TERESA DI FRESCO The marina of Lampedusa (Photo: Natursports/Dreamstime) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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