Abstract Examination of the volcanic stratigraphy of deposits younger than 10,000 years on Lipari indicates four principal periods of volcanic activity related to specific centers. The products from each different volcanic center are defined as volcano-stratigraphic unit (VSU). From the oldest these are: the Canneto Dentro, Gabellotto-Fiume Bianco, Forgia Vecchia and Monte Pilato-Rocche Rosse VSUs. The study of textures and dispersal of the deposits permitted the vents to be localized and the recent volcanic history of Lipari to be reconstructed. The oldest event formed a small explosion breccia cone with a final obsidian lava in the Canneto Dentro area. Immediately afterward, a complex series of explosions produced the widespread dry-surge deposits of the Gabellotto-Fiume Bianco sequence. This activity ended with the extrusion of a domical lava flow. The renewal of activity occurred in the Pirrera area with an explosive eruption that produced explosion breccia deposits. The last eruptions from this vent were coeval with the first eruption of M. Pilato. The rim of the explosion breccia cone was partially destroyed by the Forgia Vecchia lava flow. M. Pilato cone grew in a very short period of time due to a continuous swarm of explosive events. After a short repose time, a series of more energetic and superficial explosions occurred through a vent slightly to the south. The extrusion of the Rocche Rosse lava flow (about 729 A.D.) ended this cycle of activity. All the volcanic centers follow a quite similar stochastic pattern starting with a fall or surge eruption and ending with effusion of viscous rhyolitic lavas. The four centers are aligned along either NW-SE or NE-SW fault systems according to the structural pattern of the island. They can be placed into two groups: the Canneto Dentro-Gabellotto centers and the Forgia Vecchia-M. Pilato centers. A long quiescence ( ⋍ 3,500 years ) separates the activity of these two groups while inside of each the activities were nearly contemporaneous or in rapid succession.