View source for Ustica

{{for|the village in Croatia|Uštica}} 
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Expand Italian|date=March 2022|topic=geo}}
{{Infobox Italian comune
| name                = Ustica
| official_name       = Comune di Ustica
| native_name         = 
| image_skyline       = Mia amata Ustica.jpg
| imagesize           = 
| image_alt           = 
| image_caption       = View of Ustica
| image_shield        = Ustica-Stemma.png
| shield_alt          = 
| image_map           = 
| map_alt             = 
| map_caption         = 
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt     = 
| coordinates         = {{coord|38|42|19|N|13|10|34|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| region              = [[Sicily]]
| metropolitan_city   = [[Metropolitan City of Palermo|Palermo]] (PA)
| frazioni            = 
| mayor_party         = 
| mayor               = Aldo Messina 
| area_footnotes      = 
| area_total_km2      = 8.24
| population_footnotes =<ref>{{cite web|title=Monthly Demographic Balance|url=https://demo.istat.it/app/?l=en&a=2025&i=D7B|publisher=[[Italian National Institute of Statistics|ISTAT]]}}</ref> 
| population_total    = 1312
| population_as_of    = 2025
| population_demonym  = Usticesi/Usticani
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m         = 49
| twin1               = 
| twin1_country       = 
|istat=| saint               = 
| day                 = 
| postal_code         = 90010
| area_code           = 091
| website             = 
| footnotes           = 
}}

'''Ustica''' ({{IPA|it|ˈustika}};<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dipionline.it/dizionario/ricerca?lemma=Ustica|title=Ustica|work=DiPI Online|author=Luciano Canepari|author-link=Luciano Canepari|access-date=17 January 2020|language=it}}</ref> {{langx|scn|Ùstica}}) is a small [[Italy|Italian]] island in the [[Tyrrhenian Sea]]. It is about {{convert|5|km|mi|0}} across and is situated {{convert|52|km|mi}} north of [[Capo Gallo]], [[Sicily]]. Roughly 1,300&nbsp;people live in the ''[[comune]]'' (municipality) of the same name. There is a regular ferry service from the island to [[Palermo, Italy|Palermo]] in Sicily.

==History==
{{more citations|section|date=March 2022}}
===Late Bronze Age===
Excavations begun in 1989 at Tramontana, also known as Faraglioni, have unearthed what was a large prehistoric village dating from the 14th to the 13th century BC. The foundations of some 300 stone-built houses were discovered, and the defensive walls of the settlement are among the strongest fortifications of any period known in Italy. It is believed that these early settlers came over from the [[Aeolian Islands]].

Ustica contains the remains of the [[Bronze Age]] settlement of Villaggio dei Faraglioni. It showcases organized urban planning with huts and narrow roadways along its northern periphery, representing a well-preserved example of [[History of the Mediterranean region|ancient Mediterranean civilization]] between 1400 and 1200 BC.<ref>https://www.futura-sciences.com/en/cutting-edge-technology-uncovers-a-bronze-age-fortified-city-lost-for-3000-years_20961/</ref> Recent archaeological investigations unveiled a sophisticated fortification system beneath the village. Using non-invasive techniques such as [[ground-penetrating radar]] and electrical resistivity tomography, researchers identified an 820-foot-long arc-shaped stone wall, standing 13 to 16 feet tall.<ref>doi.org/10.1016/j.jappgeo.2023.105272</ref>

In historic times, the island has been populated at least since about 1500 BC by [[Phoenicia]]n peoples.

===Classical Age===
In [[ancient Greece]], the Island was named ''Osteodes'' (ossuary) in memory of the thousands of [[Ancient Carthage|Carthaginian]] mutineers left there to die of hunger in the 4th century BC. The [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] renamed the island ''Ustica'', [[Latin language|Latin]] for ''burnt'', for its black rocks. The island is also known locally as the "black pearl".<ref name=":0" />

In the 6th century, a [[Benedictine]] community settled in the island, but was soon forced to move because of ongoing wars between [[Europe]]ans and [[Arab]]s. Attempts to colonize the island in the [[Middle Ages]] failed because of raids by [[Barbary Coast|Barbary]] [[pirate]]s.

In the mid-18th century, 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, [[Bartholomew the Apostle]], who became the patron saint of Ustica as well. In the mid-to-late 19th century and early 20th century, as the population of the island grew too large, hundreds of Ustican families emigrated to the United States. Many of these families settled in [[New Orleans]] and surrounding areas, where there are today thousands of descendants whose ties remain strong to Ustica. Among them was Angelina Caravella, the mother of famous jazz singer and trumpet player [[Louis Prima]]. A smaller number of families settled in San Jose and San Francisco, in New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, Montana and in Chicago.

===Fascist prison island===
During the [[Fascist]] years in Italy and until the 1950s, Ustica was used as an island prison.<ref name=":0" /> [[Benito Mussolini]] banished thousands of political opponents to Ustica, often as many as 1,500 at a time.  Both [[Antonio Gramsci]] and [[Amadeo Bordiga]] were sent there.<ref name=sconfitta>{{cite book|last1=Peregalli|first1=Arturo|last2=Saggioir|first2=Sandro|title=La sconfitta e gli anni oscuri (1926-1945)|date=1998|publisher=Edizioni Colibri|location=Milan|url=http://www.left-dis.nl/uk/bordigaunknowm.htm}}</ref>  In the early 1940s Yugoslav war prisoners were crammed onto the island, and many of them died from malnutrition and tuberculosis. In the 1950s they were followed by suspected [[Mafiosi]] expelled from Sicily.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090214135849/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,939830,00.html "New Capri?"]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', September 1, 1961.</ref>

===Ustica Massacre===
{{Main|Ustica Massacre}}
On 27 June 1980, [[Itavia Flight 870]] crashed into the sea off the island while en route to [[Palermo]], killing all 81 people on board. The event became known as the Ustica massacre.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Redattore |date=2022-08-26 |title=Ustica Island: The Black Pearl of the Mediterranean |url=https://dooid.it/en/ustica-island-the-black-pearl-of-the-mediterranean/ |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=dooid Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
{{Historical populations|1861|2382|1871|1530|1881|1793|1901|1916|1911|1576|1921|1195|1931|1050|1936|1141|1951|1249|1961|1262|1971|1086|1981|1150|1991|1188|2001|1335|2011|1287|2021|1307|footnote=Source: [[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]|cols=2|align=none}}

==Environment==
[[File:Ustica map.png|thumb|right|Location of Ustica in the Tyrrhenian Sea.]]The island has limited sources of water, and vegetation is consequently scarce. The coast has numerous rocks and grottoes.

Ustica is home to the honeybee ''[[Apis mellifera]] sicula''.

==Tourism==

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 island's volcanic geology.

==Climate==
Ustica's climate is classified as [[Mediterranean_climate#Hot-summer_Mediterranean_climate|hot-summer mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Csa''). The annual average temperature is {{Convert|18.13|C|1}}, the hottest month in July is {{Convert|26.58|C|1}}, and the coldest month is {{Convert|11.27|C|1}} in February. The annual precipitation is {{Convert|525.72|mm|2}}, of which October is the wettest with {{Convert|78.85|mm|2}}, while July is the driest with only {{Convert|3.91|mm|2}}.
{{Weather box
|location = Ustica, elevation: {{convert|250|m|abbr=on|disp=or}}, 1991-2020 normals, extremes 1946–present
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 22.4
|Feb record high C = 23.0
|Mar record high C = 26.0
|Apr record high C = 27.2
|May record high C = 33.2
|Jun record high C = 37.6
|Jul record high C = 43.0
|Aug record high C = 39.0
|Sep record high C = 36.8
|Oct record high C = 32.2
|Nov record high C = 27.6
|Dec record high C = 22.8
|year record high C = 43.0
|Jan high C = 13.9
|Feb high C = 13.7
|Mar high C = 15.5
|Apr high C = 17.8
|May high C = 21.7
|Jun high C = 26.1
|Jul high C = 29.4
|Aug high C = 30.3
|Sep high C = 26.7
|Oct high C = 23.0
|Nov high C = 18.8
|Dec high C = 15.3
|year high C = 21.0
|Jan mean C = 11.7
|Feb mean C = 11.3
|Mar mean C = 12.8
|Apr mean C = 14.9
|May mean C = 18.5
|Jun mean C = 22.6
|Jul mean C = 25.8
|Aug mean C = 26.6
|Sep mean C = 23.6
|Oct mean C = 20.4
|Nov mean C = 16.4
|Dec mean C = 13.1
|year mean C = 18.1
|Jan low C = 9.5
|Feb low C = 8.8
|Mar low C = 10.2
|Apr low C = 12.0
|May low C = 15.3
|Jun low C = 19.1
|Jul low C = 22.1
|Aug low C = 23.0
|Sep low C = 20.5
|Oct low C = 17.7
|Nov low C = 14.0
|Dec low C = 10.9
|year low C = 15.3
|Jan record low C = -1.2
|Feb record low C = 0.5
|Mar record low C = -1.2
|Apr record low C = 3.6
|May record low C = 6.4
|Jun record low C = 10.0
|Jul record low C = 14.0
|Aug record low C = 14.2
|Sep record low C = 12.2
|Oct record low C = 7.6
|Nov record low C = 3.0
|Dec record low C = -1.0
|year record low C = -1.2
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 60.4
|Feb precipitation mm = 52.9
|Mar precipitation mm = 39.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 34.0
|May precipitation mm = 18.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 11.6
|Jul precipitation mm = 3.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 20.8
|Sep precipitation mm = 60.7
|Oct precipitation mm = 78.9
|Nov precipitation mm = 72.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 72.3
|year precipitation mm = 525.7
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 8.7
|Feb precipitation days = 7.6
|Mar precipitation days = 6.3
|Apr precipitation days = 5.3
|May precipitation days = 3.2
|Jun precipitation days = 1.5
|Jul precipitation days = 0.7
|Aug precipitation days = 1.8
|Sep precipitation days = 5.2
|Oct precipitation days = 7.4
|Nov precipitation days = 9.4
|Dec precipitation days = 10.0
|year precipitation days = 67.1
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 79.0
|Feb humidity = 77.5
|Mar humidity = 77.5
|Apr humidity = 76.6
|May humidity = 74.7
|Jun humidity = 73.5
|Jul humidity = 73.0
|Aug humidity = 73.6
|Sep humidity = 76.5
|Oct humidity = 78.4
|Nov humidity = 77.3
|Dec humidity = 77.8
|year humidity = 76.3
|Jan dew point C = 7.7
|Feb dew point C = 7.0
|Mar dew point C = 8.4
|Apr dew point C = 10.1
|May dew point C = 13.2
|Jun dew point C = 16.5
|Jul dew point C = 19.4
|Aug dew point C = 20.5
|Sep dew point C = 18.1
|Oct dew point C = 15.5
|Nov dew point C = 11.6
|Dec dew point C = 8.4
|Jan sun = 145.4
|Feb sun = 163.8
|Mar sun = 213.9
|Apr sun = 232.8
|May sun = 292.3
|Jun sun = 308.1
|Jul sun = 347.2
|Aug sun = 320.5
|Sep sun = 243.3
|Oct sun = 203.1
|Nov sun = 152.7
|Dec sun = 135.2
|year sun = 2758.3
|source 1 = NOAA,<ref name= NOAA>{{cite web
|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Ustica_16400.csv
|title = Ustica Climate Normals 1991-2020
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|access-date = September 1, 2023
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230901002842/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Ustica_16400.csv
|archive-date = 2023-09-01}}</ref> (dew point 1981-2010)<ref>{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1981-2010/RA-VI/Italy/WMO_Normals_CliNo81-10.xls  
|format = XLS 
|title = Ustica (16400) Climate Normals for 1981-2010 
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] 
|access-date = March 2, 2024
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240317065214/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1981-2010/RA-VI/Italy/WMO_Normals_CliNo81-10.xls
|archive-date = 2024-03-17}}</ref>
|source 2 = Temperature estreme in Toscana<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://climaintoscana.altervista.org/italia/stazioni-wmo/ustica/
|language = it
|title = Ustica
|publisher = Temperature estreme in Toscana
|access-date = September 1, 2023
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230901002420/http://climaintoscana.altervista.org/italia/stazioni-wmo/ustica/
|archive-date = 2023-09-01}}</ref>
}}

==Gallery==

<gallery widths="200px" heights="160px">
File:Ustica.jpg|An image of Ustica at sunset
File:UsticaFerry.jpg|Ustica seen from the ferryboat
File:Ustica panorama del porto e del paese.jpg|A panorama of the Ustica harbour
File:Torre Santa Maria ad Ustica.jpg|Santa Maria Tower near the Ustica harbour
File:Torre dello Spalmatore - Ustica.jpg|Tower of the Spalmatore – Ustica
File:Ustica costa nord.jpg|The northern coast of Ustica
File:Ustica seen from the airplane.jpg|Aerial view of Ustica
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of islands of Italy]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikivoyage|Ustica}}
* [http://www.ustica.org/genealogy/index.htm Ustica Genealogy]
*{{cite web | url=http://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=211819 | title=Ustica | publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] | work=[[Global Volcanism Program]] | access-date=14 September 2016}}

{{Portalbar|Geography|Islands|Italy}}
{{Islands of Italy}}
{{Province of Palermo}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Islands of Sicily]]
[[Category:Stratovolcanoes of Italy]]
[[Category:Volcanoes of the Tyrrhenian]]
[[Category:Pleistocene stratovolcanoes]]
[[Category:Pleistocene Europe]]
[[Category:Metropolitan City of Palermo]]<!--as landform-->
[[Category:Prison islands]]