Piana di Ghirlanda
Considered as the garden of the Pantelleria island, Piana di Ghirlanda (u Chiánu dā Ghirlánna) is the terminal stretch of the caldera, rich in very ancient volcanoes of enormous width. Surrounded by coasts covered with spontaneous vegetation and outcropping rocks, it has a flat profile caused by floods. There was an ancient stream that formed during periods of heavy rain and even now you could see a sort of gorge carved into the ground. Its position, south-east of the island, and the difference in height that surrounds it, means that in this area there are considerable temperature variations between day and night, very important for an area where water is scarce. Several hypotheses are made about the name origin. According to some, the wreath (ghirlanda) was put on the heads of the races' winners during the Roman domination. For other more accredited hypotheses, Ghirlanda derives from the surname Gerlando, present on the island in the XVIII century. The correct name of the place should therefore be Piana di Gerlando.
