Santa Marina Salina is a ''

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 ...

'' (municipality) and one of the main towns on Salina, one of the

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 ...

. It is situated in the

Metropolitan City of Messina The Metropolitan City of Messina () is a metropolitan city in Sicily, Italy. Its capital is the city of Messina. It replaced the province of Messina and comprises Messina and 107 other ''comuni'' (: ''comune''). It has 595,948 inhabitants as o ...

in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

region

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. ...

, located about northeast of

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

and about northwest of

Messina Messina ( , ; ; ; ) is a harbour city and the capital city, capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of 216,918 inhabitants ...

. Santa Marina Salina borders the municipalities of

Leni Leni may refer to: * Leni (name) Leni is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name Male and female: * Leni Alexander (1924–2005), Chilean composer * Leni Apisai (born 1996), New Zealand rugby union player ...

and Malfa.

Physical geography

Territory

The municipality of Santa Marina Salina is located in the eastern part of the island of Salina, at the foot of Monte Fossa delle Felci (which rises to 962 m above sea level and is the highest point of all the Aeolian Islands) and Monte Rivi. It covers the area that extends from the mountain summits to the sea. It is a densely vegetated area, composed of

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

, red eucalyptus,

acacias ''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Australa ...

, alders,

elms The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...

pines A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as ...

, holm oaks,

chestnuts The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Description C ...

ferns The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

, and many others. Along the coast is the town of Santa Marina Salina, where the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

and the main shops and nightlife venues are located. At the southern end of the municipality is the district of Lingua, near a saltwater lagoon.

Origins of the name

The name of the town derives from the cult of Saint Marina (to whom one of the churches in the settlement is also dedicated), which spread to the island starting from the 16th century. This cult was probably brought by colonists of Venetian origin (Saint Marina is co-patron of

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

), who arrived as exiles to the Aeolian Islands from various Mediterranean locations due to the gradual reduction of the territories of the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

conquered by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

.Giacomantonio (2010) p. 182 The specification "Salina" was added when the town became an autonomous municipality in 1909, perhaps to distinguish it from the already existing municipality of Santa Marina in

Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

. It refers to the name of the island, which derives from the aforementioned saltwater lagoon located in the Lingua area, which was used in ancient times as a salt pan: the lagoon gave its name to the entire island.

History

Via Risorgimento - Santa Marina Salina 1

Archaeological finds testify that the island of Salina has been inhabited since the

5th millennium BC The 5th millennium BC spanned the years (5000 BC – 4001 BC) (c. 7 ka to c. 6 ka), that is, inclusive of 5000 BC but exclusive of 4000 BC. It is impossible to precisely date events that happened around the time of this millennium ...

. The colonization of the island by people of Greek descent, likely the

Aeolians The Aeolians (; , ''Aioleis'') were one of the four major tribes into which Greeks divided themselves in the ancient period (along with the Achaeans, Dorians and Ionians).. They originated in the eastern parts of the Greek mainland, notably in ...

, dates back to the

3rd millennium BC File:3rd millennium BC montage.jpg, 400x400px, From top left clockwise: Pyramid of Djoser; Khufu; Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; Cuneiform, a contract for the sale of a field and a house; Enheduana, a high pr ...

. Other finds attest to human presence in the territory of Santa Marina Salina in the

15th century BC The 15th century BC was the century that lasted from 1500 BC to 1401 BC. Events * 1504 BC – 1492 BC: New Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt conquers Nubia and the Levant. * 1500 BC – Meteorite impact that formed the Kaali crater in Ancient Estonia ...

. Following the destruction of this settlement, likely carried out by the

Ausoni "Ausones" (; ), the original name and the extant Greek form for the Latin "Aurunci", was a name applied by Greek writers to describe various Italic peoples inhabiting the southern and central regions of Italy. The term was used, specifically, ...

, the island presumably remained uninhabited until the

6th century BC The 6th century BC started on the first day of 600 BC and ended on the last day of 501 BC. In Western Asia, the first half of this century was dominated by the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which had risen to power late in the previous century after ...

, when Lipari and consequently Salina were populated by Doric peoples, who made Santa Marina Salina the main center of the island. In the following centuries,

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

, and Byzantines succeeded one another until the conquest by the

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

in 840. In the

12th century The 12th century is the period from 1101 to 1200 in accordance with the Julian calendar. In the history of European culture, this period is considered part of the High Middle Ages and overlaps with what is often called the Golden Age' of the ...

, the island was then populated by

Amalfi Amalfi (, , ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto (1,315 metres, 4,314 feet), surrounded by dramatic c ...

refugees who landed at Malfa. In recent times, in 1867, the island of Salina, being one of the only two densely populated Aeolian islands (the other being Lipari), was ordered to become an autonomous municipality, separating from the municipality 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 ...

, which remained for the other six islands. Thus, the municipality of Salina was created, with its capital in Santa Marina. However, the other towns on the island had difficulty bearing the dependence on the capital, so in 1909, the separation resulted in the three municipalities of Santa Marina Salina, Malfa, and Leni.

Symbols

The coat of arms and the banner were granted by decree of the President of the Republic on November 21, 1996. ; Coat of Arms The coat of arms is truncated (divided horizontally). The upper part is cut (divided diagonally) and bears seven stars symbolizing the Aeolian Islands, arranged such that Salina is in the center, along with the trinacria, symbol of Sicily. The lower part depicts the island of Salina as seen from the

sea A sea is a large body of salt water. There are particular seas and the sea. The sea commonly refers to the ocean, the interconnected body of seawaters that spans most of Earth. Particular seas are either marginal seas, second-order section ...

and an

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ', which itself comes from the Greek (). Anch ...

, symbolizing

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the motion, movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navig ...

. ; Banner The banner is a cloth of white.

Monuments and places of interest

Religious architectures

* Church of Maria Santissima Addolorata * Church of Santa Marina * Church of San Bartolomeo

Civil architectures

Archaeological sites

* Villaggio di Portella * The Saracenic caves, excavated in

tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock co ...

as a hiding place against the raids of the

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century History of Germany, German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to ...

around 650. They are a series of interconnected spaces containing inscriptions and votive signs from that era * Salt collection pools, dating back to the Greek period (

3rd century BC The 3rd century BC started the first day of 300 BC and ended the last day of 201 BC. It is considered part of the Classical antiquity, Classical Era, Epoch (reference date), epoch, or historical period. In the Mediterranean Basin, the first fe ...

), located in Lingua * Archaeological area of Barone (thermal baths and fish salting plant)

Natural areas

* Nature Reserve Le Montagne delle Felci e dei PorriLo Cascio, pp. 163-168. * Special Protection Area near the lagoon of Lingua

Society

Ethnicities and foreign minorities

As of December 31, 2014, there were 98 foreign citizens residing in Santa Marina Salina, accounting for 10.99% of the population.

Languages and dialects

In addition to the official Italian language, the Sicilian language is spoken in its Aeolian variant in Santa Marina Salina. The richness of influences in Sicilian, which belongs to the

Romance languages The Romance languages, also known as the Latin or Neo-Latin languages, are the languages that are Language family, directly descended from Vulgar Latin. They are the only extant subgroup of the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-E ...

family and is classified in the extreme southern group, derives from the geographical position of the

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

, whose centrality in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

has made it a land of conquest by numerous peoples in the Mediterranean area.

Culture

Schools

* Primary School of Santa Marina Salina * Elementary School of Lingua

Museums

* Civic Museum (Santa Marina Salina) - This museum showcases the local culture and history, including archaeological findings from the region.

Festivals

Several traditional festivals are celebrated in Santa Marina Salina, including: * Feast of Saint Marina, celebrated on July 18, honoring the town's patron saint with religious processions and local festivities. * The "Sagra del Cappero" (Capers Festival), held in August, promotes local agriculture and traditional cuisine, featuring dishes made with capers, a local specialty.

Cuisine

The culinary traditions of Santa Marina Salina reflect the Mediterranean diet, characterized by fresh fish, vegetables, and local products. Specialties include: * Capers from Lingua - Renowned for their quality, they are used in various dishes. * Aeolian bread - A traditional bread made with local ingredients. * Fish dishes, particularly swordfish and sardines, often grilled or baked with Mediterranean herbs.

Economy

The economy of Santa Marina Salina is primarily based on

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

. The island attracts visitors for its natural beauty, beaches, and rich cultural heritage. Agriculture is centered around the cultivation of capers, olives, and grapes, which are also used in local wine production. Fishing remains an important activity, with local fishermen providing fresh seafood to the community and tourists.

References

External links

* Official Website of Santa Marina Salina (http://www.comunesantamarinasalina.it/) * Tourism Information on Salina (http://www.turismoeolie.com/salina/) {{authority control Cities and towns in Sicily Towns and villages in the Aeolian Islands