Marettimo

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A map showing the Aegadian Islands. Marettimo is the leftmost island.
A map showing the Aegadian Islands. Marettimo is the leftmost island.

Marettimo (Coordinates: 37°58' north; 12°4' east) is one of the Aegadian Islands in the Mediterranean Sea west of Sicily, Italy. It forms a part of the municipality (comune) of Favignana in the Province of Trapani. From Trapani, the island takes about an hour to reach.

Marettimo is the second largest of the Aegadian Islands. The highest point is Monte Falcone with a height of 686 m (2,287 ft). The island has about 300 inhabitants, who mainly live from fishing and traditional hand-craft.

The ancient name of the island was "Hiera", perhaps a term of Spanish origin. However, the name "Hiera" is part of the Greek name "Hiera Nesos", which means "Sacred Island" in Greek.

Photographs from Marettimo

The ruins of the "Casa Romana" settlement.

Moorish castle on the northern promontory.

From a ridge above town: Scala Vecchio on the left, Scala Nuovo on the right, and the "Casa Romana" visible in the left foreground.
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Coordinates: 37°58′10″N, 12°03′26″E Flora of Marettimo The island comprises about 500 species, many of them are very rare and endemic plant, among the most endangered plant: Bupleurum dianthifolium, Brassica macrocarpa, Scilla hughii and Thymus richardii subsp. nitidus, the last one was chemically investigated[1]