Panarea (; ) is the smallest of the seven inhabited

Aeolian Islands The Aeolian Islands ( ; ; ), sometimes referred to as the Lipari Islands or Lipari group ( , ) after their largest island, are a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily, said to be named after Aeolus, the mythical ruler of ...

, a

volcanic A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...

island chain in north of

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, southern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. It is a ''

frazione A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidat ...

'' of the ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' of

Lipari Lipari (; ) is a ''comune'' including six of seven islands of the Aeolian Islands (Lipari, Vulcano, Panarea, Stromboli, Filicudi and Alicudi) and it is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the northern coast of Sicily, Southern Italy; it is ...

. There are currently about 280 residents living on the island year-round; however the population increases dramatically in summer with the influx of tourists especially during the months of July and August. In recent years, the island has become known internationally for its celebrity visitors.

Geography

The island is an active

volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...

with a total surface area of only . The highest point on the island, Punta del Corvo, is

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. There are thermal springs near the village of Punta di Peppe e Maria.

Scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...

is a popular excursion on this tiny island, and one can even swim to a

shipwreck A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. It results from the event of ''shipwrecking'', which may be intentional or unintentional. There were approximately thre ...

between the offshore rocks of Lisca Bianca and Bottaro. The island is surrounded by several islets and skerries reachable only by boat that make Panarea unique and easily distinguishable between the other

Aeolian islands The Aeolian Islands ( ; ; ), sometimes referred to as the Lipari Islands or Lipari group ( , ) after their largest island, are a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily, said to be named after Aeolus, the mythical ruler of ...

. These islets and skerries are: Basiluzzo and Spinazzola, Pietra Nave, Dattilo, Lisca Bianca and Bottaro, Lisca Nera, Le Formiche.

History

In antiquity, the island was named "Euonymos"; the nearby islet of Basiluzzo, administered from Panarea, was named "Hycesia". There is archaeological evidence on the island dating back to Greek inhabitants (~ 1200 BCE); later the island was settled by Romans. There were people still living on the island until pirates and other Mediterranean raiders made life unbearable after the fall of the

Western Roman Empire In modern historiography, the Western Roman Empire was the western provinces of the Roman Empire, collectively, during any period in which they were administered separately from the eastern provinces by a separate, independent imperial court. ...

. In modern times, Panarea has become a fashionable vacation spot. In 2011, it was described by ''W'' magazine as "the epicenter of the chicest summer scene in the Mediterranean." Panarea and the entire Aeolian chain were declared a

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

in 2000. Largely because of this, construction and development are strictly regulated and the community retains its storied insularity. Most residences admit only temporary occupancy, and the few year-round homes available are highly expensive and difficult to obtain.

Gallery

Delfini tra panarea e stromboli 2.jpg Panarea -vista dal villaggio preistorico (2).jpg Panarea.jpg Villaggio preistorico (8).jpg Panarea-Villa éolienne.jpg Panarea-street2.jpg Tipico abitato di Panarea, sullo sfondo l'isola di Basiluzzo e lo Stromboli.jpg Panarea01.jpg Capo Milazzese.jpg Drauto.jpg Panadabasi.jpg Aerial image of riserva naturale orientata Isola di Panarea e scogli viciniori (view from the northeast).jpg

References

External links

panarea.com

* {{Authority control Frazioni of the Metropolitan City of Messina Aeolian Islands Volcanoes of Italy

Geography

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links