The wonders of Taormina

Taormina is a town in the province of Messina, located on a natural terrace that directly overlooks the strait that separates Sicily from the Italian peninsula. This medieval village, originally called Tauromenion, retains a Greek soul and this is immediately evident when admiring the main symbol of the city, namely the Ancient Theater, an imposing structure, which due to its size is the second largest theater in Sicily. Just think that the stalls were entirely carved out of the rock and still today has a capacity of almost 5000 spectators; the stage is the most important part that the theater still retains in its original Hellenic form as it was later renovated by the Romans. Even today it is used for theatrical and musical performances and for its suggestive position and its enormous capacity it is one of the most sought after locations by artists. The wonders that this place preserves are many, in the heart of the village we find Palazzo Corvaia and the seventeenth-century church of San Pancrazio which stands on the remains of a Greek temple, not far away then the cavea of the ancient Odeon and the church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. In Piazza IX Aprile you can enjoy a wide view and crossing the Porta di Mezzo in the seventeenth-century Clock Tower we arrive at the palace of the Dukes of Santo Stefano with Arab and Norman Gothic elements, and again the Badia Vecchia. Taormina is not only art, it also has the wonderful public gardens of the Villa Comunale.