What to see in Taormina

Being one of the most known tourist destinations in whole Sicily, Taormina still represents one of the poshest places in the region.
Located in an ideal cape, where people can admire both the gorgeous panoramas and the landscape from Calabria to the Mount Etna – the tallest active volcano in Europe.
The streets, the medieval buildings, the archeological sites and the essential charm are a natural attraction for tourists from all over the world. The close beaches are as well a wonderful natural scenario. Moreover in the last few years Taormina has acquired an outstanding position as a location for national and international cultural events.
The Taormina Archeological Museum
The Taormina Archeological Museum is located in the badia vecchia an ancient XIII century Gothic building. This Museum hosts many ancient finds which emerged belonging to different digs: three different halls are destined for the pottery, urns, sculptures and a marble sarcophagus representing Psyche. All finds date back to the Greek-Roman age.
Historical Background of Taormina
The foundation of ‘Taumerion’ occurred in 358 B.C. thanks to some Greek colonists arrived from the close city of Naxos. The dominating position of the Sicilian East-Coast involved a wide range of interests from foreign populations. After the Greek colonization, the Romans took the control, leaving some of the most beautiful art pieces of the ancient Sicily.
During the Roman colonization – which started in 212 B.C. – the city experienced different periods: during the first one, it enjoyed many privileges whilst the Roman patricians let their villas be built. Nonetheless, after a while the Roman invasion became really oppressive exerting some of the cruelest repression acts against the population.
The Arab invasion took place in 902 and had tragic consequences: after a several years state of siege, the conquerors had no mercy, killing people and destroying the largest part of the buildings. 1078 the Norman troops conquered ‘Almoezia’ – that’s the Arabic for Taormina – being able to push back the Muslim Sicilian occupation in just a few years.
Thanks to the Norman invasion a brand new magnificent era took place in Taormina, characterized by the idea of the ‘borgo’, i.e. an internal smaller settlement.
During the Aragon and Angevin period Taormina’s destiny was strictly related to that of Sicily: people had to pay high taxes, suffering a low birth rate and a reduction of the welfare. During the war against the Bourbons, Taormina’s population had an important role, standing out because of its braveness and patriotism. After Italy’s Unification, Taormina improved its fame in the whole Mediterranean Sea and its beauties became well-known even abroad.
Today Taormina is still one of the most demanded and, a without fail, most important Mediterranean destination for the tourists in Sicily.
Taormina by Night
Taormina’s fresh nights are all dedicated to the fun and the culture. In the city centre you can find plenty of pubs, posh and really sophisticated, where you can have a cocktail, or maybe dance or meet new people. Above all, it is possible to become acquainted with foreigners, who are definitively not a minority in Taormina.
If you enjoy discos, well Taormina has everything you need: nightclubs are really elegant with a unique atmosphere and music all night long. If you come with your family you would definitely appreciate the walking down Corso Umberto I and the close medieval streets, tasting in the meanwhile a slice of pizza in a restaurant or an ice-cream in one of the awesome city bars.
