As the sun slowly dips behind the sea, painting the sky in warm orange hues and the wind softens, Pantelleria puts on its starry dress.
In Pantelleria, darkness is real. No noise, no artificial lights to break the spell. The nights are deep and alive, and the sky becomes a stage of stars that tells stories.
Between July and September, local enthusiasts host stargazing evenings under the island’s sky, where the naked eye turns upward. To truly see the stars, all you need is a spot far from artificial light, with a wide, open view unobstructed by trees or buildings.
There are corners of the island where the sky feels within reach
At the summit of Montagna Grande, the island’s highest point, the view opens wide — the sky so close it feels like you could count the stars.
At the Lake of Venus, on windless nights, the stars reflect in the still water, creating a double sky, a double infinity.
In Gadir, the ancient thermal pools carved into volcanic rock offer the chance to stargaze while immersed in warm water. The contrast between the earth’s heat and the cool breath of the universe is an unforgettable feeling.
And then there are the dammusi, ancient dwellings of Arab origin that seem to have grown from the earth itself. Built entirely of dry-set lava stone, topped with white domes that reflect the summer sun, they hold within a silent coolness, even on the hottest days.
Each dammuso is a small miracle of natural engineering — essential, perfect architecture that blends into the landscape and disappears into the vegetation, as if it had always been there.
Lying on one of these domes on a clear night feels like floating.
In Pantelleria’s night sky, you might spot the constellation Cassiopeia, the vain queen, shaped like a glowing "W." You can follow the Summer Triangle, formed by Vega, Altair, and Deneb — the stars of two lovers separated by the Milky Way. And when you look toward the horizon, you may even glimpse Orion, the great hunter, with his three aligned stars forming the belt.
Here, you don’t need to search for the sky — just look up. You’re surrounded by Pantelleria’s universe of stars.
To learn more about Pantelleria’s sky, also read: A day under Pantelleria’s sky: experience the sunrise, the sunset, and the starry night
Content created with the contribution of Sergio Minoli