Story by Tommaso Ragonese

Photo by Marco Crupi

It’s very common to meet visitors eager to “reach the summit” of Alicudi. While there is indeed a triangulation pyramid perched at 675.33 meters above sea level, a popular destination for peak freaks, it sits on just one of the ten or so domes or cupolas—referred to as timpuna (singular: timpuni) in the local dialect—which form a summit plateau ranging from 650 to 676 meters in elevation. None of these peaks offers a 360-degree view of the island, making it more accurate, as 19th-century Austrian Archduke Luigi Salvatore did in his infamous work, Die Liparischen Inseln, to speak of Alicudi’s “principal heights”. The exact nomenclature of this area remains shrouded in uncertainty. This article aims to clarify the geography of Alicudi’s summit and to inspire you to explore its “three peaks”— hikes that rival the famed Three Peaks of Lavaredo!

Aerial view of the Montagnole summit plateau.

Rather than a single peak, Alicudi’s “principal heights” encompass plateaus, timpuna, and fila (singular: filu), a local dialect term for jagged, protruding rock formations. The summit area of the island is traditionally called the “Montagnole” (Muntagnuoli), spanning approximately 14 hectares (140,000 square meters) and comprises valleys, plateaus, and a dozen timpuna. One of these domes, on the northeast side, is marked by a triangulation pyramid. The hiking map currently available for purchase on the island identifies this timpuni as “Montagnole” and designates it as the island’s highest peak. Access is from the southeast via a badly marked path, which should not be attempted in the afternoon. We will provide a detailed itinerary in another article, but it’s always advisable to book a guided tour.

Triangulation pyramid on one of the Montagnole’s domes at 675 metres above sea level.

Significant confusion persists regarding the names assigned to this part of the island, whose toponymy is far richer than the single label “Montagnole.” In a future article, we’ll delve deeper into this topic. For example, in an 1875 bulletin of the Club Alpino Italiano, Francesco Salino noted:

“The highest summit or crater, called Punta delle Femmine, rises 667 meters above sea level; the Montagnola, where the trigonometrical signal erected by the Italian General Staff is found, measures 666 meters; Filo dell’Arpa, 651 meters”

The 1919 Touring Club Italiano guidebook similarly states:

“… the steepest region leads to Punta dell’Arpa or Timpone della Montagnola, marked by the trigonometrical signal at 675 meters. The view is incomplete, limited to the island”

Many trekkers using maps and GPS tracks refer to Alicudi’s summit as “Filo dell’Arpa”. Thus, it is essential to distinguish clearly between:

• Montagnole (Muntagnuoli)
• Timpone delle Femmine (Timpuni i Fimmini)
• Filo dell’Arpa (Filu i l’Arpa)

As mentioned, the Montagnole comprises a range of about ten domes or timpuna. The Timpone delle Femmine (Timpuni i Fimmini) has become somewhat of a local myth, as Alicudi’s mountaintop was progressively abandoned over the course of the last two centuries. It is a distinct rock formation slightly lower in elevation and located to the west of the centre of the Montagnole. Pino Pajno’s commentary in his edition of Luigi Salvatore’s notes on Alicudi states:

“The names of certain places still bear traces of the fear of pirate raids. Thus, u Timpuni i Fimmini is a secluded height where the Arcudari—especially the women—took refuge during those terrifying moments”

To pinpoint this “secluded height”, I cross-referenced the oral accounts of the most reliable local informants with the Archduke’s records. It cannot be reached on foot.

Aerial view of the western screes. The Timpone delle Femmine is marked out.

Illustration of the Timpone delle Femmine in Austrian Archduke Luigi Salvatore’s Die Liparischen Inseln.

The Filo dell’Arpa (top-right) seem from the ancient trail.

Although often confused with the Montagnole, the name “Filo dell’Arpa” refers to a distinct rock formation to the south of the Montagnole, about a hundred meters lower in altitude. Below is a satellite view of Alicudi, with the Montagnole, circled in green, Timpone delle Femmine, circled in orange, and the Filo dell’Arpa, circled in red, as well as the triangulation pyramid’s position (white).

The Filo dell’Arpa rises above one of the island’s most dramatic screes, the Sciara u Cugnatticieddu, bordered by a wide valley, a Vaddotta a Cuntrada i l’Arpa, whose imposing terraced fields (lienzi, in the local dialect) ascend toward the Montagnole and a Vaddi i Mazzuni (now called Vaddi i Muzzuni). These terraces descend toward the area known as the Area Vigna, recently rebranded with the more tourist-friendly name: “Casa del Tramonto” (Sunset House).

The Vaddotta a Cuntrata i l’Arpa.

The trail to Filo dell’Arpa is currently in a state of disrepair and suffers from significant erosion, exacerbated by the overpopulation of goats. We recommend hiring an experienced guide.

View of the Sciara u Cugnatticieddu.

The Chianu e Fila, westermost of the Pianure.

While not peaks in the strictest sense, the northwestern plains may be among the most captivating routes to explore upon reaching the island’s summit. These plateaus were formed by a volcano-tectonic collapse during the island’s final eruptive phase, approximately 30,000 years ago. The plural Pianure (Plains) is apt, as they comprise three distinct plains: Piano dell’Aria (Chianu i l’Aria), Fossa Gibbia, and Piano dei Fili (Chianu e Fila), bordered to the northeast by three fila.

Entrance to the Pianure from Chianu i l’Aria with an eastward view of the other islands.

Access is from Contrada di Montagna, a cluster of old agricultural storage and wine-making facilities partially converted into residential buildings.

Contrada Montagna, a small cluster of ancient agricultural warehouses and wine presses, some of which have now been converted into residences.

A well-marked and relatively levelled path winds through dense fern vegetation, leading to Chianu e Fila and ending at a near-vertical drop over the western screes, which tower above the Scuogghi’alera. This term, misleadingly transliterated into Italian as “galera” (jail), actually refers in the local dialect to a small, rock-dwelling fish scientifically named Coris julis.

View from the western edge of the Chianu e Fila. In the upper left section, the peak of the Timpone delle Femmine.

The Scuogghi’Alera, misleadingly transliterated into Italian as “Scoglio Galera” (Jail’s Rock) as seen from the edge of the Chianu e Fila.

From here, visitors can venture beyond the summit region, guided by memories, oral accounts, personal experiences, and documentary evidence, booking a guided tour and exploring even the lesser-known, unmarked trails.

Philosopher, hiking guide, former competitive sailor. He has been living on Alicudi since 2021, dedicating himself to traditional practices, historical, ethnographic, and archaeobotanical research and sheer contemplation. He is the author of the memoir Il Bene sia con Voi! (2022) and Alicudi e la Segale Cornuta [The myth of ergot poisoning in Alicudi] (2024). Today, he is Alicudi’s only guide and produces Arcura, an artisanal wine crafted from restored alberello vineyards in historic districts.