Taormina – just half way from Messina to Catania – is one of the most scenic places or cities in Sicily. It is situated just on the slopes of a high hill, under the impressive volcano Mount Etna and along the seaside on the east coast of the island.
The population is about 11.000 that live in and around Taormina. The center of the city is old, beautiful and really ‘cozy’. Exactly the way you think an ancient mountain village should look like.
The history is long and most of the parts are the same like the rest of Sicily. The city was founded my Greeks coming from the nearby Naxos after they settled in the land of the Siculi since 734 BC. It rapidly started to be a flourish city and soon from just a settlement it became a real town. The tyrant Hieron of Syracuse made a lotof problems in Sicily and the Italic mainland until a treaty with Rom in 263 BC. Taormina was left under his dominion after that.
Later under the Romans it was a privileged or allied city. A few times it was the center of disputes in a war of slaves, the war of Sextus Pomeius and others. It was then famous for its wine and marble.
In 962 it became a Muslim city just for a hundred years before the Norman Roger I of Sicily changed the rules.
The rest of the city’s history goes with the rest of the island’s history: German, Spanish, French dominions to finish finally in the Kingdom of Italy.
In modern times Taormina became in the 19th century a popular travel place. VIPs like Oscar Wilde, Goethe, Nietsche, Wagner and much more had a look at this beautiful place and took a lot of inspirations as well.
Some curiosity: Mark Knopfler wrote a song called ‘Lights of Taormina‘ and Daphne Phelps wrote a book called ‘A House in Sicily‘. She lived in Taormina for over 50 years.
I saw Taormina more than 20 years ago and was deeply fascinated. I remember even the hotel I was booked in: Hotel Corona. This time I came twice. The first time was a complete disaster with the heaviest rain imaginable. The second we were much more lucky and the rain stopped just before arriving and didn’t come back before leaving.
We walked around the city center, visited the ancient Greek or Roman theater, had a look at the Naumacchie – a wall of a nymphaeum which had once behind a water tank as in ancient times households had to provide their own water supply before the early and mid-imperial era – and took a glimpse of the Palazzo Corvaja courtyard where today the bureau of tourism is hosted.
We had a great meal in a cozy restaurant in the middle of the center, super stylish and with a great view into the garden. Can’t remember the name but it had a tree inside the restaurant growing out of the roof. Cool!
Again I will remember Taormina as one of the must-see in Sicily and I hope I will not wait again 20 years before I will return here.
Taormina, Sicily/Italy:
For further information:
Website about Sicily
Taormina website
