Welcome to Pantelleria

Introduction

The main attraction of this aircraft carrier that goes towards Africa, remain naturally the sea. Pantelleria, located in the centre of the canal of Sicily offers, to all the lovers of sea holidays, its feral beauty. Its coast is rich of inlets and ness, small bays and caves governed by very high cliff and they can be considered the most beautiful of the Mediterranean. For the lovers of the immersions underwater you can go everywhere because the sea is full of fishes: from the perch fish to the crayfish, from the rich visions provoked by sponges and corals. The sea of Pantelleria is also a box that keeps archaeological knowledge because on its water depth there are a lot of wrecks.

Small history about the island of "Sesi"

Sesioti were mysterious people living during the Bronze Age – maybe coming from the coasts of Libya- and established its place in the village called Mursia, the closest Italian point to Africa. These left traces evident till now: a big prehistoric wall that protected the village (the biggest prehistoric wall discovered till now in the Mediterranean) and surrounded the same one and their cotes, but above all some cemetery monuments, called 'Sesi'. These biggest graves made by an ancient stone, in the inside have got different cells, where the deceased were placed.

The landscape

Dammusi are typical buildings of the island of Pantelleria and they characterized in a great manner the landscape. These buildings with the particular roof with the dome (to gather the rain and then put in some tanks) have got a strong wall that allows a constant temperature to be kept inside them (fresh during the Summer and hot during the Winter). Next to dammusi, “giardini” (the house of the trees) were created, singular towers made of stone, which were used to protect the tillage sensible to the wind, which blows constantly on the island.The numerous volcanic craters, spread all over the country, allow us to imagine the beautiful birth of the island about 300.000 years ago. The BigMountain, with its 836 metres in high, is the most elevated point of the island and it’s only the top of a big underwater building of about 2000 metres. In different points of the island, you can see manifestations of secondary volcanism, very appreciated by the inhabitants of Pantelleria and the tourists. They are spills of beneficent hot vapour from the slits of the stones and springs of thermal water with temperatures that go from 40° to 100° C.The blue of the volcanic lake of the Mirror of Venus is one of the most appreciated natural beauties of Pantelleria. From the sandy shores there is the development of a lot of springs of thermal water. Then, curative mud is very known.

The myth.....

Arabian people lived and governed in the island for more than 400 years and let indelible traces. The name Pantelleria comes from "Bent el rhia" – daughter of the wind and names of villages as Khamma, Rekhali, Gadir, Bukkuram and Bugeber have got an Arabian origin. The Arabian people shaped, modifying the earth of the island. They farmed every part of the earth of the island, creating terraces of the pediments of the fertile volcano. The introduced the crop of the vine and of the cotton. Recently studies create an identification of the island of Pantelleria with the old Ogigia of Homer. Especially in the thermal cave of Sateria, someone wants to imagine the place in which the legendary Calypso met Ulysses.

The Gastronomy

Governed by the sun and influenced by the sea, the gastronomy of Pantelleria finds its greatest expression in the typical products of the earth and the sea: vegetables, legumes and fish. A triumph of tomatoes, eggplants, pepper and the famous capers are the basis of the gastronomy of Pantelleria. The ravioli made with cottage cheese and mint is one of the typical and most particular dishes of the gastronomy of Pantelleria. Ammogghiu is a particular sauce that can be used with pasta or roasted fish; couscous with vegetables, seasoned with a delicious sauce of fish; Tumma, a delicate and fresh cheese; grape zibibbo is the basis for a special vine that can follow a dessert. All over the world, it’s known this vine: Moscato Passito, a real glory of the island. Mustazzola and Pasticciotti  are typical cakes that complete the gastronomy of Pantelleria.