Discovered in 1980 on the north-eastern coast of Stromboli, the prehistoric village of San Vincenzo preserves human settlement layers extending from the Neolithic period through the Bronze Age, up to the Roman and Medieval eras. Comprehensive archaeological investigations conducted from 2009 onwards revealed the evolution of this Capo Graziano I and II culture site.
What to see
The Bronze Age village was built across a series of agricultural and residential terraces maintained with stone rubble. Standing on these terraces were circular and oval huts constructed using dry stone walls made of local lava stones, with the largest structures exceeding 10 meters in diameter. Excavated artifacts indicate a flourishing maritime trade network: along with local Aeolian ceramics, archaeologists uncovered pottery imported from Sicily and Calabria, as well as Aegean ceramics and glass beads dating to the Late Helladic I-II period (1650–1400 BC). Palynological research has helped reconstruct the Middle Bronze Age environment. This intense commercial activity likely prompted raids, leading to the abandonment of the village around the mid-second millennium BC when inhabitants relocated to higher, more inaccessible heights. The site is protected under a decree of cultural interest by the Sicilian Region.
Visiting
Located on the north-eastern slope of Stromboli, the archaeological area allows visitors to observe the terraced layout and the stone wall foundations of the lava-rock dwellings.
Our editors' tip
Pay close attention to the foundations of the largest circular huts; reaching over ten meters across, they represent remarkably large domestic structures for Bronze Age settlements in the Aeolian Islands.