The regional school office in Messina signed a decree on January 19, 2026, permitting the reopening of a primary classroom in Ginostra, a hamlet perched on Stromboli volcano, after a six‑year‑old girl secured a unique place. The school had been silent for 20 years, its bell never having rung.
Ginostra is dubbed 'the island within an island' because it is linked to Stromboli only by sea, and its population of roughly 40 people lives without roads, relying on a single donkey for deliveries and tanker water. Monica Abbate and Raffa Bazine, whose daughter Aysha is the sole enrollee, warned that without the school they would have been forced to leave the hamlet.
The request began with a letter on January 8 from the parents and local delegate, Monica Abbate, to the mayor of Lipari, school chief Patrizia Muscolino, and the provincial office. The ministry’s rule normally requires 15 pupils, but the law allows an exception in remote depopulating areas.
Teacher Laura Mongi, who arrived from Milan, will tailor the national curriculum to a single‑student classroom, offering a customized program that follows the ministry’s guidelines.
Mayor Riccardo Gullo hailed the reopening as a 'sign of solidarity for this isolated community', while parish priest Nino Pirrotta emphasized that schools act as community hubs.
The first lesson will begin on September 10, 2026, marking the first time in two decades that a school bell has rung in Ginostra, potentially setting a precedent for other isolated Italian communities.