Seven thousand years of uninterrupted human existence on the islands has left intriguing traces which can be seen in every corner of the archipelago. Panarea, Salina and Filicudi are home to prehistoric villages - such as Capo Graziano and Serro del Capo - perched on the edge of the sea or, like the settlement that dominates Calajunco, overlooking one of the most beautiful bays in the Tyrrhenian Sea.I n Lipari, the walls of the ancient Greek settlement cut through the main town from its ancient cemetery, surrounding the real "jewel" of its civilization, the Castle, which is not only the heart of the acropolis but also - with its ve churches and many cloisters - of Christianity too.The Castle is protected from pirate attack by Spanish walls built on the ruins of temples, which in turn were built on top of the rocks - possibly the very cliff that Homer described as the royal palace of Aeolus.The Castle also houses an extraordinary strati cation of [... Continua] settlements, from the Late Neolithic to the modern age, which have alternated through the entire history of these islands.The task of describing and explaining all this to visitors is left to the Aeolian Archaeological Museum, "Luigi Bernabo Brea", one of the most important museums in the Mediterranean. It is divided into numerous sections (prehistoric, classic, volcanic) and includes collections unique in their richness and breadth, from the theatrical masks of Greek tragedy to the work of painters and potters of the Second Century BC. It is also impossible to overlook the many objects made of obsidian, the volcanic glass which was traded throughout Europe and provided Lipari with its wealth in ancient times. The tour continues on the other islands, including the museums in Filicudi, Panarea and Salina. [^]