Strombolicchio

Two kilometres north-east of Stromboli, Strombolicchio rises above the sea as the resistant core of an older volcano. A lighthouse was activated on the rock in 1925.

Why it matters

INGV dates the volcanic neck to around 204,000 years before present and places visible volcanic activity there roughly 200,000 years ago, about 100,000 years before activity on the main island. Strombolicchio is an eccentric neck composed of dikes, breccias and lavas. Volcanism later shifted southwest to form the present Stromboli cone.

What to notice

The volcanic neck is composed of dikes, breccias and lavas, and rises 49 metres above the sea. At its summit stands a white cylindrical lighthouse, eight metres tall. The rock’s geological history forms a contrast with the active Stromboli cone visible nearby.

Context and history

The lighthouse is maintained by the Italian Navy’s navigation service. Its register records activation in 1925, a white cylindrical tower eight metres tall and a light height of 57 metres above sea level. The rock belongs to the Comune of Lipari. In geological literature, “Strombolicchio” also names the earliest phase of Stromboli’s evolution, when this neck and related structures formed before volcanic activity migrated to the present cone.