Aeolian Islands, Part 2 of 2.

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In the previous post we sailed through the Messina Strait between Italy and Sicily towards Vulcano Island where we climbed Gran Cratère. We continued to Stromboli volcano and witnessed a nighttime eruption. Today we take the dinghy ashore to visit Stromboli town.

A major Stromboli landmark. San Vincenzo is the islands main church (out of three!).
A major Stromboli landmark San Vincenzo is the islands' main church. There are two more churches on this island with 500 inhabitants.
The churches were raised, stone by stone, with the contribution of all inhabitants. Everyone offered what they could: money, work, equipment and materials. Restored or resurrected many times after damage by eruptions or earthquakes.
The churches also transmit the memory of disastrous events, as the tombstones recall the year and the damage suffered.
TWO B at anchor as seen from San Vincenzo plaza.
Enjoying the famous Sicilian cannoli. The Authentic cannoli recipe consists of a fried and crispy pastry wrap, stuffed with a creamy filling. Pistachio is Liza's favourite by far.
Stromboli street vendor.
The "boulevard" along the black sandy beach.
Small passenger ferry, dropping off and picking up tourists.

It was time to leave Stromboli and head to Lipari, the largest island in this volcanic archipelago situated in between Vesuvius (volcano on mainland Italy that buried Pompei) and Etna (volcano on Sicily). See previous post for our route in the Aeolian sea.

We arrived a bit late in the day so it was not easy to find a safe anchorage, but there we are at anchor with a stern-line to shore.
Lipari town looking South from our dinghy dock.

Greek colonists arrived in Lipari ~580 BC and build the acropolis on the rock now known as Castello. Lipari became a Carthaginian naval base during the first Punic War, but fell to Roman forces in 252–251 BC. (for an explanation on the Punic Wars see; https://www.twobatsea.com/history-of-iberian-peninsula/).

In the 9th century Arab tribes conquered Sicily and Arab pirates started raiding the area resulting in the depopulation of Lipari. Charles V had his Spanish subjects repopulate the island and build the massive city walls atop the walls of the ancient Greek acropolis in 1556 that we still see today.

It was not safe to live on the rest of the island until Mediterranean piracy was eradicated in the 19th century.

The Castello as seen looking North from our dinghy dock.
Via Castello, the stairway leading up to the Cathedral of San Bartholomew in Lipari Castle.
South side façade of the Cathedral. Photo from internet. We do not have a wide angle lens suitable for confined spaces.

The first cathedral was built in the heart of the acropolis, where a Greek temple had existed in the classical period. It was destroyed by the Arabs in 838. As with many landmark buildings, they  are rebuild and destroyed again many times. What we see today was finished in 1861.

Interior of the Cathedral.
Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. Most scholars identify Bartholomew as Nathanael, who appears in the Gospel of John. Christian tradition offers several accounts of Bartholomew's death: One account states that he was crucified upside down, and another says that he was skinned alive in 69 AD in present day Armenia, where he was teaching. How his body ended up in Lipari is an unsolved miracle.
Attached to the Cathedral is a Benedictine cloister, dating back to 1000 AD.
The columns in the cloister are "recycled" from destroyed Roman villa's.
Excavations on "top of the rock" have revealed the remains of at least 4 different civilisations build on top of each other. Archeological finds are on display in the remaining buildings.

Some of our readers might remember that the Greeks loved drama, and theater played an important role in society. (https://www.twobatsea.com/athens-greece-part-1/). The actors were wearing masks to identify the character they would play. A favourite theme at the time was the Trojan War, described in the Iliad by Homer. The masks shown below are those for the scene of Hector’s farewell to his wife Andromache before he went on to face the combat with Achilles in which he was destined to die.

Andromache
Hector with helmet.
You have to imagine that those masks were beautifully finished and painted, like this replica found in the same museum.
Lipari town and port as seen from the castle walls.
Looking back at the castle from Lipari town.
Lipari street view, known for its upmarket restaurants and expensive boutiques.
It was time to continue our voyage so we returned to Vulcano Island, the first Aeolian island we visited, but we anchored now on the East site to position ourselves for the crossing to Sicily.

Thank you for reading our stories and we hope to see you next time in Sicily.

Liza and Frits.