Santa Marina Salina

Santa Marina Salina is a coastal town on the eastern side of Salina, centred on the island's main port. Its seafront and compact streets sit beneath the volcanic slopes, while the nearby church with twin bell towers is a prominent landmark.

Why it matters

Santa Marina is one of Salina's three principal inhabited centres, alongside Malfa and Leni. Its port connects the island with Sicily and the other Aeolian Islands, and its role as a landing place has shaped the town's relationship with the sea. Salina is distinct within the archipelago as an island administered through its own communes rather than from Lipari.

What to notice

The port and seafront anchor the town, with shops and gathering places in the streets nearby. To the south, the coastal settlement of Lingua is known for its small lagoon and for pani cunzatu, a local bread topped with ingredients such as capers, almonds, aubergine, tomato and herbs. Inland, the slopes rise toward Monte Fossa delle Felci. Near Capo Faro, the Portella site preserves evidence of a Bronze Age settlement and Roman remains.

Context and history

Human settlement on Salina reaches back to the Bronze Age. At Portella, between Santa Marina and Capo Faro, archaeological remains record an early village and later Roman activity. Tuff caves at Serro dell'Acqua, traditionally associated with refuge from raiding, preserve another layer of the island's history. Santa Marina's growth, meanwhile, followed the importance of its harbour and the agriculture of the surrounding volcanic slopes, including caper cultivation and Malvasia vines.