History and etymology of Lampione
The small island called “Lampione”, that T. Fazello mentioned below the “Schola” name and the Sicilian fishermen also called “Scoglio degli scolari” [“Rock of the pupils”] is in fact only a rock, and it is located southwest of Lampedusa.
Last year (November 2010) was published in the "Bonn Zoological Bulletin" (2010, Vol. 57, No. 2, pp. 111-118) a concise and a very up to date description with the latest scientific acquisitions about Lampione: “[...] Lampione (35°33’00”N 12°19’11”E) is a small islet located 17 km off the W coast of Lampedusa (Pelagian Islands)and 110 km off Tunisia, in the Channel of Sicily. The area is 0.021 km2 and the maximum altitude is 36 m a.s.l.
From a geological point of view, the islet is composed of dolomitised carbonates belonging to formations of the Tunisian offshore, and its definitive isolation from North Africa was since 18,000 years B.P. (Pasta 2002). The climate is arid, characterised by strong drought periods in summer and by an average annual rainfall lower than 300 mm. The vegetation is mainly dominated by halo-nitrophile perennial shrubs.
The occurrence of a large colony of gulls causes a strong level of soil eutrophisation and nutrient imbalances, which allow the expansion of the nitrophile biannual Malva veneta (Soldano, Banfi & Galasso, 2005) during the late spring on the top of the islet (...) The invertebrate assemblage of the islet reflects several features typical of microinsular and arid environments, namely a low number of species (about 30, excluding flying insects) [See Lo Cascio 2004, and Lo Cascio unpublished], an over-representation of some groups (e.g., five species of 'Coleoptera Tenebrionidae' (See Canzoneri 1972; Lo Cascio unpublished) [...]” ( See p. 112).
The modern name (Lampione) etymologically refers to a kind of lighthouse or lantern for sailors, or, as was explained by O. Pianigiani "[...] a very large lantern, which is used on the towers of the ports and sea beaches, and it is also called “Lampione” [ 'Street Lamp'] or 'big lantern'. It 's so-called also the great tower of the port, above which the lantern is located (...) The name comes from the Greek ‘Lampter,’ ‘shine brightly’ [...] "(See O. Pianigiani, “Vocabolario etimologico della lingua italiana” [“”Etymological Dictionary of the Italian language”] , Segati, 1907: 534, 736). G. Alessio specified that Lampione "can not be derived directly from the 'lampa' (Latin 'Lampa-lampadis'), but it goes back to a diminutive 'lampadio-lampadionis'" (See G. Alessio, in “Lingua Nostra”, Sansoni, 1951, 12: 44).
In conclusion, "Lampione" is the modern name of the previous place-male “big lantern”, which indicated the only human presence on the rock of Lampione. However, Lampione, from the etymological point of view, poses no irrilevant problems. About a few names that Lampione assumed over the centuries, there are no specific studies. However, we offer here a couple of possible hypotheses. As Fazello noted, Lampione in the Middle Ages was known as "Scola" (a term which is usually translated as "School"):“In medio mari inter Cercina et Sicilia sunt Pelagiae insulae desertes tres, Lampedusa, Lalenusa et Scola, non multum ad invicem refugientes” [In the midst of the sea, between Cercina and Sicily, are located three desert islands, Lampedusa, Lalenusa and ‘Scola’, which are not far among them"] (See, F. Thomae Fazelli. “De rebus siculis decadae duae, nunc primum in lucem editae”, apud J.M. Maidam et F. Carraram, 1558: 9).
Lampione was also called the “Scuola dei Portolani” [ "School of the Portolans"] which, definitely, between you and me, I don’t think that it seems to have much meaning. As pointed out by S. Sommier, “In past centuries [Lampione] was called ‘Scola’, 'Schola' or 'Scolla', names by which we see marked it near Lampedusa on most of the old Portomans" (See Stefano Sommier, “Le isole Pelagie”, Firenze, 1908: 269 ff.). The modern Italian definition of “Scuola dei Portolani” [“School of the Portolans”] is probably the Italian translation of the expression with which the Arabs indicated Lampione. In fact, already Al Idrisi called Lampione the “island of the book”: “ Towards the north [is located] to five miles, a very pretty little island that is called "Gazirat al kitab" ('Island of the Book ') "( See M. Amari, “L'Italia descritta nel 'Libro del re Ruggero'”, Salviucci, 1883: 16).
It’s also very likely that the "Book" to which Al Idrisi referred was simply a "Pilot", which, unlike the maps it did not contain any illustration, but it gave few indications of the distances between various locations. G.B. Pellegrini, about the Arab definition, writes: “ ‘Gazirat al-kitab’ or better ‘al kuttab’, the 'Island of the book' or better the ‘Island of the school’= 'Lampione' (...) See Seybold, 'Analecta' p. 215 (who notes that the island in the late Middle Ages was called 'Schola', ‘Scola’” (See G.B. Pellegrini, “Gli arabismi nelle lingue neolatine”, Paideia, 1972, Vol. I: 296).
For the Sicilian fishermen, the "Island of the book" and of the "school" became the "Rock of the pupils”, since the word “book”, for the logic of events, relates to the "school" and “pupils”. At this point, however, perhaps some readers are wondering what is the metaphorical meaning of the terms "Schola" and "pupils". "Schola" (School) is a collective noun, which implies the presence of many individuals, or "pupils". In our case the "Schola" [School] is metaphorically formed by three "pupils", that is Lampedusa, Linosa and the same Lampione. These three "pupils" had a key role in the orientation of the sailors who came to the Pelagian Islands; that is the three "pipils" served as "Portolans", or as an "orientation" for the sailors.In this sense, the importance of all three islands as "Portolans" was well explained by L. Lamberti, who wrote: "[...] 8 miles from Lampedusa (...) there is a big rock called ‘Lampione’ (...) Linosa, Lampione and Lampedusa are of great benefit to the sailors who frequent the part of the African coast to the east of which they are located, and particularly for the identification of the Kerkenis Islands. At Lampedusa also one takes a starting point to get to Tripoli, that is (...) to 52 leagues from this [...]" (See L. Lamberti, “Portolano del Mare Mediterraneo, del Mar Nero e del Mar d'Azov”, Livorno, G. Antonelli, 1848: 137). This is presumably the hidden meaning of the expression “Scuola dei Portolani” ["School of the Portolans"] and of “Island of the book” or “School."
However, there may be a second hypothesis, perhaps more convincing, but, as we shall see, it has some slight uncertainty. As Diez noted, the term "Scolla" derives “from Old High German 'Scolla', German ‘Scholle’, with the Italian meaning of "zolla", or "a lump of earth" (See Friedrich Diez, "An Etymological Dictionary of the Romance Languages”, Leipzig, Teubner, 1864, Livorno, G. Antonelli, 1848, p. 465).In fact, Lampione is nothing other than a "rock", “a lump of earth very hard” in the middle of the sea. The modern Italian definition “Scuola dei Portolani” makes sense if it is translated like this: “A lump of earth very hard that was indicated in the ancient Portolans.” In conclusion, Lampione was called “Schola”, "Scolla" and "Scola" because it was merely a "hard lump of earth," or a "rock" in the sea. However, the great linguist Meyer Lübke was in disagreement with Diez: “Meyer Lübke (REW, 8005) considers impossible the loan-word from the Old High German 'Skolla' against the hypothesis of F. Diez” (See “L'Italia dialettale”, 1936, n. 12: 221).
Fortunately for us, the stabilizing intervention of G. Rohlfs was decisive in the "rehabilitation" of some Old High Germans terms which, according to Meyer Lübke, could not be present in the Italian language. Rohlfs instead emphasized the presence of Gothic and Lombard terms in Italy since the sixth century AD: "[...] The German linguist Gerhard Rohlfs dedicated a large attention to the problems of the Germanic superstrate [in the Italian language] (...) As from 1937 he spoke of the difficulty in distinguishing between the Gothic and Lombard stratum (...) In 1941 Rohlfs then published a short note, in which he reopened and plunged into the problem of the “German doublets”, that is of Gothic and Lombard origin (...) Rohlfs points out that 'There are in Italy certain German elements, which, according to the regions and dialects, survive bot in a Gothic and Lombard form, as “tappo” [cork] (…) and ‘zolla’ (a lump of earth)’ [...]” (See“Centro Italiano di studi sull'Alto Medioevo”, “Teodorico il Grande e i Goti d'Italia” [“Italian Centre for Studies on the Earl Middle Ages”, “Theodoric the Great and the Goths of Italy”], 1993: 185-186).
Some interesting historical and scientific data about Lampione have been handed down us by Stefano Sommier, who wrote: "[...] The small island, where I could not even go this year because of stormy weather (…) was described by Captain Smith (p. xxxv and 289) and Gussone ("Notizie", p. 80-81). Pietro Calcara could not see it (...) and Sanvisente only says a few words about it. (...) Lampione in past centuries was called 'Scola', 'Schola' or 'Scolla', some names with which we see indicated it near Lampedusa in most of the old pilot books. According to Gussone were also assigned to it the names of 'Fanale' [Street-lamp] and ‘Scoglio degli Scolari.’ D'Avezac (‘Iles de l'Afrique’, p. 119), in contrast to the conventional wisdom, believes that the name of 'Aethusa' was applied to Lampione instead of Linosa (…) It is haunted, as Captain Smith says, by seals (...) In it there are traces of old houses (...) in which Captain Smith found (...) the remains of a tessellated marble floor of the Roman times (...). Lampione today is not inhabited and the only sign of man is an automatic lighthouse, from which derives the island name. The lighthouse is accessible by a path that starts from a small artificial docking, suitable only for small boats [...]" (See Stefano Sommier, p. 269) .
With regard to the Roman presence in Lampione, the data are also established by contemporary studies, which, at the same time, deny the presence of prehistoric remains: "[...] On the little island of Lamp, eight miles away, there are two groups of ruins, but not prehistoric remains. An abundance of Punic or Roman potsheards was found [...]" (See "American Journal of Archaeology”, 1911: 425). Even more recently, as we have seen, Lampione has been the subject of new and interesting studies on the local fauna with historical references that, once again, confirm the presence, even if "irregular", of the Romans in the island: "[...] Lampione is at present-day uninhabited, but late-Roman ruins document an early human presence, though probably only seasonal ( See Pasta & Masseti 2002) [...]" (See "Bonn Zoological Bulletin”, 2010, p. 12 ).