Ustica
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Location of Ustica in the Tyrrhenian Sea. |
Ustica is the name of a small island, about 9
km across, situated 52 km north of
Capo Gallo,
Italy. Roughly 1,300 people live in the
comune (municipality) of the same name.
|
An image from Ustica at sunset. |
There is regular ferry service from the island to
Palermo,
Italy.
The island has been populated since about
1500 BCE by
Phoenician peoples, . In
ancient Greece, the Island was named
Osteodes (ossuary) in memory of the thousands of
Carthaginian mutineers left there to die of hunger in the
4th century BCE. The
Romans renamed the island
Ustica,
Latin for
burnt, for its black rocks. The island is also known locally as the black pearl.
In the
6th century, a
Benedictine community settled in the island, but was soon forced to move because of ongoing wars between
Europeans and
Arabs. Attempts to colonize the island in the
Middle Ages failed because of raids by
Barbary pirates.
In the mid-1700's, the island was settled by approximately 90 people from the island of Lipari, an island also located north of Sicily, but east of Ustica. They brought with them the patron saint of Lipari, San Bartolomeo, who became the patron saint of Ustica as well. In the early 1900's several Ustican families emigrated to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, whose ties remain strong to Ustica.
During the
Fascist government in Italy and until the
1950s, Ustica was used as an island prison.
The island became infamous on
June 27,
1980, when
Itavia Flight 870 crashed a short distance from the island, killing all 81 passengers and crew.
The island is caharacterized by reduces sources of water, and the vegetation is consequently scarce. The coast has numerous rocks and grottoes
Ustica is home of the honeybee
Apis mellifera sicula.
Ustica is particularly known for
Scuba diving, with a number of diving schools established on the island. Recreational divers are attracted by the relatively deep dives, which are a feature of the islands volcanic geology.
