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Salina is an island in the Aeolian Islands (known in Italian as Isole Eolie ) north of Sicily, southern Italy. It is the second largest island in the archipelago and the greenest.

The island of Salina is included on the World Heritage List because of its worth for vulcanology. It is composed of six volcanoes. The oldest ones are at Pizzo di Corvo , Monte Rivi and close to Capo Faro, although these are barely recognisable from a morphological point of view, while the volcano-layer of Monte Fossa delle Felci and Monte dei Porri are almost perfectly preserved.

Many older Eolian people still speak an Eolian dialect. Some inhabitants are returned Australian emigrants who speak English.

There are three principal towns on Salina: Santa Marina on the eastern coast, Malfa to the north, and Leni to the south-west. From Leni down towards the sea are the villages of Valdichiesa and Rinella. The other smaller villages are Capo Faro, Pollara and Lingua.

There are currently approximately 4,000 residents living on the island. Salina is relatively uncorrupted by tourism. Time has made few inroads here and most of the people earn their living from the very fertile land. The clean beaches are uncrowded and the sleepy character of the island intact. Over the decades, the typical style of the island’s houses has not undergone great changes, due to the strict building restrictions. They are mostly renovated white-washed ground-floor buildings with terraced roofs, balconies and verandahs.

From a distance, Salina looks entirely green with two rounded high mountains and a smooth coastline. More than 400 different types of plants grow here. The cultivation of grapes, olives and capers are basically a rite. There is an annual Caper Festival held on Salina during the first week of June every year. The first week in October is Eolian Food and Wine week.

Salina has a total surface area of 27 km². The island is formed by two inactive volcanoes. Fossa delle Felci ("Fern Hollow") is 968 m and it is the highest peak of all the other Aeolian Islands. Monte dei Porri is 860 m and the crater can still visible and lies just above sea level near the small village of Pollara.

In terms of natural vegetation Salina has much to offer and is the first Aeolian island to have protected its environment with a nature reserve, known as the Riserva Naturale del Fossa delle Felci e dei Porri. Salina is the most fertile of all the Eolian Islands.

An interesting feature of Salina is the salt lake in Lingua, where at one time sea salt was produced, hence the name Salina. In the 18th century the ruins of a typical Imperial Roman villa were noted here but have since sunk into the ground.

On the slopes of the Fossa , several Roman tombs have been excavated. A path from Santa Marina leads to the summit of the mountain (about two hours' climbing) from where on a clear day you can see not only all of the Aeolian Islands but also Sicily, Mount Etna and Reggio Calabria.

Between Malfa and Leni, in the saddle known as Valdichiesa between the twin volcanoes, is the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Terzito , built in 1630. The religious centre of Salina, it attracts pilgrims on the main feast day of July 23 every year.

The mountainsides of the island are covered with ferns, poplars, chestnut trees and typical Mediterranean vegetation covered with caper bushes, prickly pear cactus and a variety of orchards, olive groves and vineyards. Above all, there is Malvasia, a famous white wine that is only produced on Salina. Malvasia is golden in colour and has an intense, delicately sweet bouquet. There has also been a local revival of the production of superior-quality low-acid olive oil.

The sea around Salina is teeming with fish. Species that are easily caught in these crystal blue waters include horse-mackerels, anchovies, sardines, pesantoni, saddled bream, ope, and swordfish.

There are three art galleries on Salina; at Leni, Malfa and Santa Marina. The one at Santa Marina, in the public library, also comprises a municipal museum of ethno-anthropology. The material culture of the people of Salina reflects, more clearly than that of the other islands, the authentic bond between a rural people and their land.

Salina offers many unforgettable sights – the high, solemn cliffs, the characteristic diving platforms, the charming beaches and the villages with their typical white houses along the seafront or on the hillsides.

The island offers much in the way of peace, quiet and friendliness. The population increases significantly during the summer tourist season. There are various hotels, B&Bs and private holiday rental houses/rooms. There is an abundance of piazzas with restaurants and cafes. There are banks, ATMs, post offices, supermarkets, gift shops and rental services of cars, motorbikes and boats. Ships and hydrofoils to the island call at Santa Marina (the main port) and Rinella. All villages on the island are connected by winding roads. Bus schedules are synchronized with the arrival of ferries several times daily.

History

A Greek settlement, from the fourth century BC through to the times of Imperial Rome, once lay on the modern-day site of the small town of Santa Marina. A number of tombs from this era have been discovered further inland. Several traces of Greek and Roman culture have been found on the island.

The most recent eruption on Salina occurred on the western part of the island about 13,000 years ago and formed the semi-circular crater of Pollara; its activity was mainly explosive and produced large pumice deposits. The sea has covered one side of the crater and people swim quite peacefully in a place that was once spewing forth with fire and brimstone.

All that remains of the endogenic activities are some post-volcanic phenomena called “gurgling” and a thermal spring at Pertuso. The gurgling phenomena are at Rinella and are basically caused by the emission of underwater gas (hydrogen sulphate) and vapours. When this phenomenon is at its most active it can lift the sea-bed.

In the Hellenic Age, the island was named "Didyme" (Δίδυμη), a Greek name which refers to the two mountains as "twins". The island was inhabited as far back as the Bronze Age and has been developed and then abandoned many times over the subsequent millennia. In 1544, when Spain declared war on France, king Francis I of France, asked the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman for help. The latter sent a fleet headed by Khair ad Din (also known as Barbarossa) who was victorious over the Spaniards, and managed to retake Naples from them. In the course of the battle, the Eeolian Islands were depopulated. Later immigrants from mainland Italy, Sicily and Spain re-established communities on Salina. Areas on the island, including the two mountain peaks, were designated as a natural reserve in 1981.

Transportation

Salina has two ports, Santa Marina and Rinella. There is a regular bus service connecting all the villages on the island. A main road connects Lingua, Santa Marina, Malfa and Pollara and a side road runs between the two volcanoes to Leni and Rinella.

Hydrofoil service is active from Naples, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Messina and Milazzo. Ferry starts from Naples and Milazzo. Coordinates: 38°33′55″N 14°50′00″E  /  38.56528°N 14.8333333°E  / 38.56528; 14.8333333

See also

• List of volcanoes in Italy

References

• Ezio Giunta, dir. (2005). "Salina". Estateolie 2005*The Essential Guide (English version of Tourist Guidebook) : 66–79.  

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