Lipari island

Lipari is the greatest and most populated island of the aeolian archipelago ; it has a surface of 37,6 Sqkm and counts about 12000 inhabitants.
Clearly visible, as you approach the island from the sea, are the top of the town, the fortified city with behind (visible if you come from Marina Lunga) the former Franciscan convent, now Town Hall. Far below at its feet sit the two bays of Marina Corta, watched by the small church of the Anime del Purgatorio (once isolated on a rock, now linked to the mainland) and by the 1600’s church of San Giuseppe, and of Marina Lunga, the larger of the two inlets. On the last night of the festival of St. Bartholomew on 24 August, Marina Corta is illuminated by a magnificent display of fireworks, set off from the sea. The lower part of town or città bassa, with its main street Corso Vittorio Emanuele lined with charming shops and restaurants, provides the perfect context for the traditional passeggiata (walk).

Castello – This is how they refer to the citadel, a structure constructed on a Greek acropolis before being surrounded by walls in the 13th century. In the 16th century Charles V had it reinforced after the town was sacked by Barbarossa. It is best approached from piazza Mazzini, by the most ancient route: past the fortifications and the Greek tower (dating back to the 4th century BC), with its great medieval portcullis (12th-13th century), lies the heart of the citadel. On the right is the Church of Santa Caterina, with beyond it, an archaeological area which has been excavated to reveal superimposed layers of dwellings (huts), buildings and roads from various periods spanning the Bronze Age (Capo Graziano culture) through to Hellenistic and ancient Roman times. Behind sits the small church dell’Addolorata and the 18th century Church dell’Immacolata. Left of these, in the centre, rises the Cathedral dedicated to the patron saint of the
Aeolian Islands, Saint Bartholomew : medieval in plan, it was rebuilt during the Spanish domination, while the façade dates back to the 19th century. The adjacent cloister is Norman. Opposite is a flight of steps dating from the early 20th century; to build it some of the ancient walls had to be demolished.

Museo Archeologico Eoliano Luigi Bernabò Brea – The collections are sheltered within several different buildings, displayed in sections relating the history of the islands from the Prehistoric to the Classic times. Special sections are devoted to marine archaeology and vulcanology . Most of the relics are from excavations undertaken since 1949.