History of Panarea

Over the centuries, even Panarea, like all Aeolian Islands  was mostly deserted, even in 1825 there were only a thousand people on the island, and probably, between the sixteenth and seventeenth century, the population was even more scarce because of raids of the Turks. The things probably changed after 1693, when the Turks were defeated by the fleet of Lipari (See "Research on rural dwellings in Italy, Olschki., 1973:  112).

The island was still inhabited in very ancient times. The excavations carried out by Luigi Bernabò Brea in the Aeolian Islands in 1947 brought to light a village located on the promontory of “Punta Milazzese”, easily defensible; and it is precisely for this reason it was chosen as the site of the village of Middle Bronze Age, consisting of circular huts, in which were found the remains of Bronze Age vases that show relationships with the Mycenaeans  in the  early thirteenth century BC (see L. Bernabò Brea-M. Cavalier, "Meligunìs Lipàra", III. Prehistoric stations of the Aeolian Islands. Panarea, Salina and Stromboli ", Palermo, 1968: 1-132).

The archaeological data also show that the island was inhabited in Roman times; in recent months, a Roman ship was recovered; we known, from the earliest explorations of the experts, that  the ship was carrying jars of dried fruit and dates back to the first century AD. The discovery of other wrecks of cargo ships suggest that the island was so  at the center of intense trade in the Mediterranean and the presence of so many shipwrecks supports even more the validity of the proposed etymology of L. Zagami, for which Panarea was called "The Damned" just because of the danger of the many rocks rising from its waters.

In Roman times it was basically used as a military outpost and trade; in Basiluzzo   a Roman settlement was found , and later, in medieval and modern times, the island was an outpost of Arab Piracy in the Mediterranean. Today Panarea is a resort of high level, especially during the   summer (July-August), and it is also very expensive. We observe, however, that, rejected some peculiar months, the island is a to everyone who loves nature and especially archaeology and volcanology, of which Panarea is an example of exceptional interest.

Etymology of Panarea

With a paradox we could say that Panarea is the "Neverland." This is because Strabo (58-25 BC), in his "Geography", speaks of an island in the Aeolian archipelago, which he calls "Euonymos", and which also gives us the etymology, meaning "the island to the left" . Strabo says thus: "[...] The seventh is 'Euomynus' which is farthest out in the sea and is high desert; Because it is so named it is more  to the left than the others, to those who sail  'from' Lipari 'to' Sicily [...]". However, with these coordinates all have realized that, coming from Lipari to Sicily, there is nothing. In fact, even in the nineteenth century A. Firmin Didot, rightly explained, "[...] Erratum est haud dubie hoc locum aut a Strabone aut a librario: nulla est enim ex insulis ad laevam sita est ex Lipara ad Siciliam naviganti [...]"; or "This  Strabo or his amanuensis’s passage is definitely wrong, because, coming from Lipari to Sicily, there is no island to the left "(See Strabo," Strabonos Geographike: Strabonis Geographica. Strabonis geographicorum tabulae XV", edited by A . Firmin Didot, 1877: 979).

Some scholars also logical  thought that Strabo with that name would indicate some other island. In fact,  L. Zagami wrote: [...] Some believed that Panarea corresponds to the island called "Euonymos" by the ancients, which was in fact included in the Aeolian Islands. Strabo also cites "Euonymos," explaining the etymology of its name, saying it was so called because, compared with sailors coming from the port of Lipari, it was located ‘to the left’ (...) But,  with the name "Euomenos" the island of Basiluzzo as well that of Stromboli could be noted  [...]". Other scholars, Zagami still observed, "referring  to the expression of Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD),  who  called “Euonymos”  “minima” (or "smallest") and "Novissima" (very recently) have held that the name "Euonymos" indicates the island of  “Vulcanello”, born just recently in relation to Pliny,  i.e. in 183 BC" (See L. Zagami, "Lipari and its five millennia of history," Ditta  D'Amico, 1960,: 53-54).

The obvious error of Strabo has been identified by  H. Mertz, who has thought of an evident error in the text, which was amended and corrected: [...] “Here appears an unusual error in transposition in Strabo's 'Geography' persisting for some two thousand years (...) The original Greek text should be read: (...) “to those who sail 'To' Lipari 'From' Sicily”, not the reverse as it stands. Geographically, no island exist farthest out the sea, more to the left than the others when one sail from Lipari to Sicily further, the high sea is not be found in that direction since Italy itself lies there.

On the other hand, Alicudi, errousnely identified alike by Strabo and all later Geographers. Does exist farthest out in the high sea” (Vedi Henriette Mertz, “The wine dark sea: Homer's epic of the North Atlantic”, Mertz, 1964, pp. 43-44). All in all, Strabo was right in saying that "Euonymos" was "the island to the left”, only that it was necessary to specify that it was to the left of those who came “from” Sicily “to” Lipari, and not the other way. We can probably also "acquit" Strabo, because most likely the amanuensis mistook.

In the Middle Ages the island was re-named, and, according to the handwriting handed down by the 'Anonymous from Ravenna "(VII-VIII century AD), turning  into  “Pagnaria”: “[…] ‘Panaria’, the proof of the present name dates back to the Geographer from Ravenna, who indicated it with the name of 'Pagnarìa'. The name is clearly of Byzantine origin and among the proposed etymologies there are "Panaràia" (light, thin) or better still, "Panaràia", "The Damned", "Panaraiòtes" (full of holes), spongy; "Panéros" (full of mountains ")," Panàrroia "(without streams)" (See G. Libertini, “Le isole Eolie nell'antichità Greca e Romana”, Bemporad, 1921: 12 footnote 3). The same considerations are in L. Zagami (“Lipari and its five millennia of history”, Ditta D'Amico, 1960: 52, note 65). Zagami goes on to explain better the meaning of certain etymologies, such as the term "Panaràia", meaning "The Damned" (perhaps because of the rocks around it ").

Presumably the  Zagami’s hypothesis  has a historical basis, because just recently have been found in the waters around the island the remains of a Roman ship probably sank because of the cliffs: "[...] The islands to the north of 'Panaria' are in large numbers, many of them can be defined simply rocks above the water, located close to each other, and they are called "Ants", a name that indicates their outstanding amount [...]" (See "Uses and customs of all nations ...", Milan, 1858, Vol. III: 41).

However, the question of "names" of Panarea is truly unique: with the name  Latinized by the Moderns it was  called "Panaria", by Francesco Maurolico (1494-1575), Vincenzo Coronelli (1650-1718), Fazello (1498-1570), but about the name with which it  was known by the Ancients, contemporary  historians do not agree. Some called it "Icesia" without the "h", Ptolemy and many others "H-icesia" or “H-icesium”. Others called it "Thermis-i-a," and Strabo "Thermis-sa"; Natale Conti (1520-1580) and Iohann Jacob Hoffmann (1635-1706) believe that its etymology comes from the Greek word "Thermes", meaning "heat" because in it there are baths of hot water (... ) Some scholars, like Francesco Maurolico (1494-1575),  say "Panaria" is the old "Evonimos" or “Evonymus” for Ptolemy (90-168 AD), and Pliny, but Filippo Cluverio  (1580-1622) and Ricciolio (Giovanni Battista Riccioli, 1598-1671) believe that ‘Evonymos’ is the proper name of  ‘Vulcanello’ (..). Appian (95-165 AD),  Lendro Alberti (1479-1522) and Giovanni Botero (1533-1616)  called it  "Didyme," but this is wrong, because "Didyme" is the name of ‘Salina’ [...]" (See Giovanni Andrea Massa, " La Sicilia in prospettiva …, 1709, Vol II: 478).