The Aeolian Islands, also called Lipari Islands, are a volcanic archipelago located in the Tyrrhenian sea, in the province of Messina on the northern coast of Sicily. The archipelago is composed of the islands Alicudi, Filicudi, Lipari, Panarea, Salina and the two active Volcanoes Stromboli and Vulcano. They are called after the God Eolo, king of the winds, according to Greek mythologie. They were always civilized by men. The first civilizations reach back to the neolythic period ,4000 b.C. During the ages the islands were popolated by the Spanish, Sicilians and Italians. During the time of the Bourbons, Vulcano was a prison island where the captives had to work in the sulphur and alum mines. The archipelago has the form of an horizontal Y and is a volcanic system with an oceanic subduction beneath the continent causing the overflow of lava which formed this ring of islands. This ring of islands extends to 200 kilometres and consists of not only the islands above but also beneath the sea level. They are called: Alcione, Lametini, Palinuro, Glabro, Marsili, Sisifo, Eolo, Enarete. The islands have always fascinated the travellers. For instance also Antonio Saltini who wrote a colourful story called "una notte di pesca tra Lipari e Vulcano".