Therasia ", which literally translates as" hot land ", is the ancient name of the island sacred to the god Vulcan. The island of Vulcano is mythologically recognized, in Greek tradition, as the seat of the forges of Hephaestus, god of fire, technology and metallurgy, the god Vulcan, hence the current name of the island. It is said that the god Vulcan, aided by the Cyclops, forged weapons for the gods.
The island is the result of the merger of some volcanoes, the Vulcano della Fossa, flanked by the smaller one, Vulcanello.

The ancient Hierà (sacred), once home to the God of Fire, is the southernmost island of the archipelago and the closest to Sicily from which it is just 12 miles away. It has an area of ​​21 sq km and from a geological point of view the island is made up of four volcanoes: Lentia, Vulcano Piano, Fossa di Vulcano and Vulcanello della Fossa the last born.

The only one to be considered active is Vulcanello della Fossa which remained in the Fumarolic phase. The volcanic activity of this island was known since ancient times to the Greeks and Romans, who were strongly impressed by it. The last violent explosion occurred in August 1888 and lasted until March 1890. This type of volcanic activity was characterized by the explosion of the plug that blocked the conduit and the launch of lava bombs called Bread Crust.

Other volcanic manifestations are present in the Porto di Levante area. These are boiling muds and submarine fumaroles, exploited above all in the treatment of rematic forms.

The island is inhabited by about 470 inhabitants who are called "vulcanari" and the most important town is called Gelso.