Sunday 16 September 2012

Lampione-Italy | Sicilian Islet, Diving Paradise of the Pelagie Islands.


Not many people know Lampione, a tiny, hidden jewel of Italy consisting in small, uninhabited Sicilian islet, diving paradise of the Pelagie Islands in the Mediterranean situated between Malta and Tunisia facing the island of Pantelleria and the Strait of Sicily.
  
Situated at just 18,0 kilometres from the famous Lampedusa and at approximately 60,0 kilometres from the beautiful Linosa, they form all together with the tiny Isola dei Conigli a striking archipelago that the ancient Greeks denominated nisiá pélagos meaning islands in open sea, politically and administratively lands of the splendid province of Agrigento and representing the southernmost part of Italy.

That incorporation took place on 12th June 1878 during the Reign of King Umberto I of Savoy son of Victor Emmanuel II and Adelaide of Austria in a period of reforms of maps and provincial borders started in the decades during and after the reunification of the Kingdom of Italy with capital Turin officially proclaimed in 1861.

If you are sailing offshore of Lampedusa, the view of that site is simply stunning, for its silhouette it appears at distance as a big cetacean, an image absolutely suggestive considered a special attraction by a multitude of photographers.

Since a long time ago that islet is a fantastic destination which continues to charm many divers for its unique seabed, a marvel for all those who know that Mediterranean corner thanks to the presence of numerous marine sponges and several species of fish.

Lampione with the nearby islands belongs to the African continent, some studies verified that its formation occurred during an earthquake in Pliocene in a special  geological era around two thousand years ago determining after analysis of fragments of its rocks that they are identical to those of the others Isole Pelagie as they are called in Italian.

In addition worth a special mention that along with the Indonesian islands they  are a very rare and unique case of transcontinental archipelago.
  
During the times of the classical Greece Lampione was linked to many legends, narrations, mentioned as a frequent site of rest of Poseidon, one of the twelve Olympian deities of the Pantheon also known in Roman mythology as Neptune representing the God of the Sea who often stopped there  during his trips around the Mediterranean.

In addition it was also identified as land of the mythological sirens who from the Aegean moved towards west to bewitch with their presence the several sailors of Megale Hellas, the notorious Magna Graecia, cradle of the Hellenic civilisation in the coastal areas of the Tarentine gulf since the 8th century BC settled by Greek colonists.  

A further legend narrated that Lampione represents a big boulder launched by a Cyclop, that famous figure member of a primordial race of giants depicted with a single eye in the middle of the forehead  and in addition that it was inhabited by two hermits despite that it is a remote supposition.

Other stories are closely related to the times of the Republic of Rome when Publius Cornelius Scipius nicknamed the African, famed Roman General and military leader during the third Punic War against Carthage for the domain in the Mediterranean used that place as a natural dock for the ships of the Imperial fleet before to attack that historic enemy landing on the Northern African coasts of the current Tunisia.

Today that tiny Sicilian islet is not populated, the only trace of human presence is represented by its Faro, the lighthouse which served as relevant indicator for the routes of many vessels devoted to Tonnare and Spadare, those notorious fishing operations dedicated to tuna and swordfish fishing, activities with a secular  tradition in Sicily.

The name Lampione or in Sicilian Lampiuni is closely related to that building, a word which translated means lamp post for the light emitted by that construction.

That tiny marvel has a surface area of only 0,036 square kilometres, the highest point reaches 36,0 metres of altitude with vertical walls along its borders approximately 60,0 metres characterised by a little vegetation mainly consisting in Mediterranean  bushes and its volcanic origin is confirmed by the presence of  dark lava rock shores.

Approximately 200,0 metres long with a width of 180,0 metres it can be visited by a path which starts from a small artificial dock suitable only for small boats.

The Pelagie islands have always been a main source for many fishermen since several centuries ago while more recently they became a great destination with the advent of the tourism industry.

In the last decades explorations linked to relevant studies dedicated to the local seabed detected a very special  presence of wonderful coral reefs composed by pink and yellow corals next to a varied range of species of fishes and very interesting marine flora. 

In addition as  relevant highlight, notable is the presence of banks of sponges largely discovered in 1897 by some Greek fishermen attracting later others from Sicily but also from the nearest Malta and Tunisia.

Thanks to all that science and tourism started to be closely linked to that Sicilian attraction which boasts fantastic underwater treasures, highly appreciated by all the diving lovers.


For that and more Lampione it is a unique Eden of the Pelagie  Islands, a mecca for and all those who are interested to discover the immense beauty of a more than marvellous seabed taking a boat from Lampedusa thanks to some services managed by local operators offering the chance to know the beauties existing in that marine heaven.

That islet is part of the Area Protetta delle Isole Pelagie, a protected, marine environment  established on 21st October 2002 by a decree of the Ministry of the Environment with that Institution sensitive to preserve the considerable patrimony of biodiversity highlighted by a rich flora and fauna.

About the latter reported are the presences of grey sharks, bull sharks, sandbar shark, carcharinus plumbeus, dolphins, rare species of lobsters, groupers, moray eels, Mediterranean moray, sea bram, scorpion fish, sparisoma cretense, tuna and swordfish.

Next to them you can see  several marine turtles among them the Tartaruga Caretta caretta ,the loggerhead sea turtle  while especially between March and April also appear in those waters fin whales, minke whales and sperm whales.

Another highlight attracting a good number of ornithologists is the landing of many migratory birds such as gulls, Scopoli's shearwater (largely present in Linosa) kestrels, European shag, greater short-toed lark, common linnet, corn bunting, zitting cisticola, Larus argentatus which regularly stop there.

Some of them fly towards the Sicilian coasts where they can find more food resources but returning later to the Pelagie Islands selected as a right habitat to survive for the excellent climatic condition or chosen as last stage before to continue towards the nearest coasts of Africa.

In the islet you can also see some animal species as the Armadillidium hirtum pelagicum, a land crustacean, the endemic Podarcis fifolensis while another highlight is certainly the Maltese lizard, a unique specimen which can be found only in the archipelago of Malta.

Several studies started since a long time ago detected that kind of reptile only populates  the islands Calipsee corresponding to Gozo, Filfola and St. Paul.

It is not confirmed how those lizards could reach Lampione, that is undoubtedly a very suggestive mystery but it is an attraction which since a long time increased the curiosity of various scientists who continue to analyse their life.


Furthermore you can see there the Fungus Rock, a rare specimen goes up near the coast between the rocks.
 
In 2007 on Lampione were filmed between September and October some scene of the Italian soap opera Centovetrine  produced since 2000 and broadcast on Channel 5 from 08th January 2001.

Lampedusa Airport provides flights all year from and to the two major airports of Sicily Palermo and Catania while in summer season there are other operative connections from other Italian cities such as Rome, Milan, Bergamo and Bologna.

I added some links which could be useful in the case you are thinking on a trip to the Pelagie islands  with including some recommended Hotels in Lampedusa, a great destination to spend unforgettable holidays and strategic base to visit that attraction.

Lampione is certainly a wonderful place if you are a diving lover or if you want to discover a marine paradise in a splendid corner of the Mediterranean.

If you are planning to visit that marvellous archipelago where you can enjoy a beautiful stay enjoying magnificent, sunny holidays do not miss an unforgettable excursion to that islet emerging from the turquoise waters of Mediterranean, a little, shining jewel which will enchant you at first sight.

Francesco Mari

 

Recommended Hotels in Lampedusa 

Hotel Medusa 
Hotel La Calandra Resort
Hotel La Rosa dei Venti Club 
Hotel La Cupola Bianca


Useful links 

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Thanks a lot to read and note.