The repeated collapse of the north-western side of Stromboli, in line with the Sciara del Fuoco, presumably caused three tsunami events in the Middle Ages, which reached the coasts of Campania.
The particularly destructive tsunamis happened between 1343 and 1456 AD.
The main tsunami would have been in 1343, which, according to experts, was most likely responsible for the destruction of the ports of Naples and Amalfi.
An exceptional witness to this event was allegedly the poet Francesco Petrarca, who in a letter from Naples spoke of having witnessed “a strange storm”.
The history of these events, up to the last one observed in 2002, means that the entire population understands that a volcano, even if of a quiet “temperament” like Stromboli, can generate potentially risky events for the population and production activities.
