Taormina is without a doubt one of the jewels of Sicily. It is true that over-exploitation of tourism has led to a crowd of curious foreigners who stir up the lives of the 10,000 inhabitants of the city.
Why is Taormina so famous?
Literature, but above all cinema, have made Taormina famous. Films such as Malena, The Godfather Part III. , The Big Blue, La piovra, Johnny Stecchino or recently The White Lotus showed the beautiful spot of Taormina.
History of Taormina
Located two hundred metres above sea level, on Mount Tauros, a splendid natural terrace, Taormina, the ancient colony of Tauromerion, founded by colonists fleeing the sacked Naxos in 403 BC, was razed by Syracuse, exalted by the Romans, and briefly the capital of the island of Byzantine Sicily.
From its capture by the Normans in 1078 until the 18th century, it was nothing more than a peaceful coastal town. From 1700, German and English writers such as Bartlett and Goethe, who were on tours of inspiration around Europe, stopped in Taormina. Even so, it was not until 1866 that the railway linked the city to Messina, facilitating access for tourists from Northern Europe, some as illustrious as the German Emperor Wilhelm II.
The resting place of some of the most important writers of the 20th century such as Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Thomas Mann and Cocteau among others, and of artists such as Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Dalí, Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth, Taormina has ceased to be a place of reflection and has become one of the axes of tourist exaltation in Sicily.
However, such are the visual pleasures that the city can offer us that it is essential to visit it. It is worth highlighting the Greek Theatre, whose importance is evident in the subsequent use that the Romans continued. But it is not the only jewel, Taormina would be nothing without the natural ornaments that enhance the theatre; The panoramic view of the Bay of Naxos and Mount Etna in the background make the Taormina Theatre one of the most recurrent postcards of our visit to Sicily.
What to see and do in Taormina
Walking through the streets of Taormina, full of typical Sicilian memories, we will find reminiscences of the occupation of the Crown of Aragon, such as the details of the Corvaja palace or the Ciampoli in Catalan Gothic style, or flowery streets of medieval style, without forgetting the Taormina cathedral, Il Duomo di San Nicolo, the villa comunale with its gardens, or the palace of the Dukes of San Stefano, one of the best examples of Norman architecture on the island.
How to get to Taormina
It is advisable to use public transport, as the centre of Taormina is pedestrianised and parking is quite difficult, even in the huge multi-storey car park. Another option is to be patient, or get up early, or even leave the car a little higher up from the city, towards Castelmola, which is also a perfect viewing point for seeing Etna.
Even so, for the brave, the Mazzaro area, the beach at the foot of the city, is the ideal place to leave the car. From here either the bus or the funicular will take us to the end of Via Luigi Pirandello, the road that goes up from the sea to the centre of Taormina. There, the Messina Gate, marks the entrance to the main street, Corso Umberto I, full of clothing and souvenir shops, antique shops, and balconies dressed in flowers.
Following Umberto I we arrive at Piazza Vittorio Emanuelle II, built on the ancient Roman forum, and now home to the Corvaja or Corvaia palace (14th century), seat of the first parliament of Sicily (1410), and which combines a 10th century Arab tower, decorated with lava stone and white pumice, as well as touches of Catalan Gothic.
It is currently the headquarters of the Taormina Tourist Office and the Museo Siciliano d’Arte e Tradizioni Popolari, with pupis, Sicilian puppets, typical dresses, carts and a wide variety of pieces, including the ex-voti, rustic offerings of votive paintings in gratitude for divine intervention in “miraculous” salvations in a multitude of diverse accidents.
To the left of the palace is the Church of Santa Caterina, built in the 17th century on the remains of the Roman Odeon, a mini-theatre that had 200 seats, that are still visible from inside.
Taormina Theatre
The Greek Theatre of Taormina is the second largest of the classical theatres in Sicily, after that of Syracuse. It is located in the highest part of Taormina under Mount Tauro, which gives its name to the town.
The Taormina Theatre was built in pure Greek style, taking advantage of the hill’s cuneiform geography. There are even steps of the staircase polished directly on the rock. The view from the steps allows a panoramic view of the bay of Naxos and Mount Etna in the background.
Although the origin of the theatre is Hellenistic, as shown by some inscriptions engraved in the stone commemorating Hiero II, its current appearance corresponds to the modifications and extensions carried out in Roman imperial times, especially with regard to the structure of the stage. The cavea or steps of the Taormina theatre have a diameter of 109 m. They are built of brick and are divided into 9 cuneos (wedges), just like the Greek theatre in Syracuse.
The semicircular orchestra is slightly lower than the stage with two side exits for the choir, above which was the stage with two floors, with three exits for actors on the first and decorated with colonnades and an upper portico. The walls at the back preserve niches whose decoration consisted of sculptures, as well as marble columns.
Behind the scenes, the wings from which the actors accessed the stage can be seen. It is known that during later transformations in the Roman age it was converted into an amphitheater, an arena for the organization of gladiator shows, as the structures of the wall protecting the stands for the safety of the attendees are still there, as well as the elimination of the difference in level between the orchestra and the stage.
During the 1990s the Taormina theater was restored and currently offers summer classical music concerts, festivals and classical theater performances that demonstrate the spectacular acoustics.
Shows at the Greek Theater of Taormina
Buy tickets for the Greek Theater of Taormina
Greek Theater schedule and information
It is located at Via del Teatro Greco, 40 in Taormina and the schedule is every day from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. At the other end of the square, the detour from Via Teatro Greco takes us to the splendid Theatre, which is the most sought-after monument in Taormina.
More and more to see in Taormina
Nearby are the ruins of the Naumachie, a titanic work of a wall supported by buttresses, which allowed the water from the mountain to be stored in a cistern to supply the city and irrigate fields.
Returning to the Corso we reach Piazza 9 Aprile, a viewing point over the sea and Etna. Here the former Church of San Agostino from 1486 serves as a library, and on a staircase, the baroque Church of San Giussepe. Above the Porta di Mezzo the Orlogio tower bids farewell to the bustling square full of tourists tasting the most expensive coffees in Sicily.
In this way we enter the oldest district of Taormina, where the Arab influences are most evident, with narrow streets that lead first to the Church of San Giovanni de Malta from 1533, to the Ciampoli Palace, a Gothic-Catalan building from 1412, with twin windows that serves as a hotel; and further on to the Piazza del Duomo, with the Comune (town hall), and the Cathedral of San Nicolo, as sober as it is dispensable.
Via Umberto ends at Porta Catania, where an Aragonese shield (1440) makes us think that we could be in any area of the Spanish Levant. Before arriving, climbing a series of steep slopes, we will arrive at the Badia Vecchia, (here is the Archaeological Museum) a Norman tower with battlements that was renovated in the 14th century. Another example of Norman architecture is the Palazzo dei Duchi di San Stefano, in Piazza San Antonio
For a break from the hustle and bustle, there is the Villa Comunale, below the Theatre, gardens full of diverse vegetation, which at the end of the 19th century belonged to the Scottish aristocrat Miss Florence Trevelyan (apparently the lover of the future King Edward VII), who designed some brick buildings in the “Lego” style.
Below Taormina is the Isola Bella, an islet that at low tide opens a sandy path to the beach, and in the surrounding area we can visit the Alcantara Gorges, an unusual basaltic formation in the form of a gorge.
Hotels in Taormina
Taormina, like other popular destinations in Italy such as Capri or Cinque Terre, is not a cheap place to stay, and the prices of hotels and accommodation are sometimes very high, especially in July or August.
Taormina Tours and Activities
In Taormina you can take boat trips, tastings, cooking classes, Etna tours, Savoca film tours in the footsteps of the Godfather, and many more activities.
Car rental in Taormina
