This charmingly restored stable annex of old farmhouse in Lami Castagna offers Sicily vacation rentals with a panoramic views of the sea and hills.
Inhabited since antiquity and renowned for its obsidian, the island enjoyed great prosperity although it was often subject to raids and attacks, among them the assault by Turk Kaireddin Barbarossa who, in 1544, landed at Porto delle Genti (a small hamlet near Lipari) and ravaged the city killing or deporting the population as slaves to Africa.
Lipari is the main town on the island. 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 the 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 1600s 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 (evening stroll).
The Castello is the name given 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, and 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 Chiesa di Santa Caterina. Beyond it, there is an archaeological dig 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 Chiesetta dell’Addolorata and the 18th century Chiesa 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.
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