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Visit Taormina
Taormina is a town in Sicily, on the east coast near Messina, located on a sun terrace of Monte Tauro, in an attractive natural setting which makes it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in both summer and winter in Italy.
Taormina history
Taormina was known in antiquity as 'Tauromenion' by the Greeks and 'Tauromenium' by the Romans. The story of Taormina is interwoven with that of Giardini-Naxos, the Greek colony founded by Teocle and then destroyed by Dionysius (430-367 B.C.), tyrant of Syracuse in 403 B.C. The survivors moved to Mount Taurus, on which they founded Taormina.
Over the centuries Taormina was subject to various rulers: it was subdued by Agathocles (360-289 B.C.) and Jerone II (308-216 B.C.); and, in 203 B.C., it was subjected to the Romans, with the position of federated city; which excluded it from certain obligations and granted some self-government. The Romans always held Taormina in great esteem because of its situation, which made the area crucial for the defence of the island. Ancient Taormina was also famous for wine production and for the good quality fish, particularly the grey mullet.
A difficult time for Taormina was the Arab conquest in 902 A.D., when the city was sacked and reduced to a mere Arab fortress, which was later conquered by the Normans in 1078-1079. With the Normans (and later with the Spaniards) thre was much restructuring of the city including the creation oif the 'Borgo' (village) between the Porta di mezzo and Porta Tocco, which were enclosed by walls containing the main buildings and religious sites (monasteries). Further expansion of the city continued in the 16th century (some aristocratic palaces and the Cathedral), and from the 18th century Taormina began its current activity as a resort for foreign travellers.
Visit Taormina
A visit to Taormina can start from Via San Pancrazio and the Church of San Pancrazio (17th century, built on the old Greek temple of Serapis, with frescoes dating from the eighteenth century). Passing through the Porta Massima you enter Vittorio Emanuele II Square, dominated by the Corvaja Palace, probably built in the early 16th century. It has a trapezoidal shape, with four mullioned windows. Note especially the the main door and the staircase which is decorated with various sculptures.
Next to the Palace there is the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria (of mid-seventeenth century), inside which there are works of great value: a statue of the Holy women (1705) by Paolo Greco and one by an unknown sculptor of the sixteenth century; there are also an altar piece of the sixteenth century (Virgin and Saints), and another by Jacopo Vigneri (active in 1550); and, finally, there is a painting by Antonio Alberti (1600-1649), called the Barbalonga (the Virgin in Glory).
Next to Piazza Vittorio Emanuele is the Via Teatro Greco through which you reach the famous theatre of Taormina (of the Hellenistic period, with changes made by the Romans in the second century B.C.). The theatre, second in size only to that of Syracuse, demonstrates how important Taormina was in Roman times. Next to Corso Umberto I there is the Via Naumachia, along which is the so-called Naumachie, a wall more than 120 meters long which is one of the most imposing Roman hydraulic works: it is the ruins of a massive reservoir which collected water to convey it to the city in case of need. To the left of the Corso Umberto I is the Church of Piliere (XVI century), and other notable buildings such as the City Hall and the Cathedral (St. Nicholas), of the thirteenth century, with three aisles, and important paintings, like the Virgin and Child with Saints Jerome and Sebastian (1504) by Antonello de Saliba (1466-1535).
taormina beach (photo credit & copyright)
In the Piazza IX Aprile there are two important monuments, the Church of St. Augustine (XVI century, with ogival arches and a small central rosette) and the Clock Tower or Middle Gate; through the Gate you enter the Borgo, in Via d'Orveille - notable are the Church of the Varò (with a cross painted in the fourteenth century and a fresco attributed to Vincenzo Tuccari (1657-1734), the Triumph of the Cross). Other buildings of considerable importance are the Church of San Giovanni di Malta (of mid-sixteenth century) and the Ciampoli Palace ( of early fourteenth century, renovated at various times over the years).
Continuing the tour of the Village as far as the Porta del Tocco other important artifacts worthy of mention as the Church of San Michele (XVII century), the Palazzo dei Duchi di Santo Stefano (XIII century), Piazza Carmine and the Badia Vecchia ( a tower of Norman origin), and the Church of San Francesco di Paola. The trip to the city of art can be terminated with a visit to the famous Belvedere (about 200 meters above sea level) where you can enjoy the panorama of the city and the sea.
Places to visit near Taormina
The surroundings of Taormina are worthy of attention too; for example, it is worth visiting the castle of Mola, of trapezoidal shape, which dominates the whole territory, in an impregnable position. For those who love the sea and the sun, there is the beautiful beach of Mazzarò, and, in the surroundings of Taormina, in addition to its impressive landscape (for example, the Gole of Alcantara, Mount Etna, the medieval castles), and beautiful beaches there are also villages such as Letojanni and St. Alexius, where, among other things, there are good restaurants, which accompany the local Wine of Etna with dishes such as ravioli of fresh pasta with shrimp and vegetable marrows, the piquant mussel, swordfish rolls, caponata, and fried squids.
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