City-picture - Taormina, Sicily

The history of this town, located in the heart of Sicily, is inextricably linked with the Greek settlement of Naxos. Many centuries ago there lived a flourishing Greek colony, which in 403 BC. E. Destroyed the troops of the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius. Those who survived hid in the mountains, on top of Monte Taurus, where a new city grew up. So it appeared on the Sicilian land of Taormina.

Sicily for centuries was under the rule of many different nations. The owners of the mountain town also changed. Taormina was owned by Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Spaniards, Normans. Periods of prosperity and peaceful life were replaced by epochs of decline and ruin. The fishing settlement, to which the ancient Romans cared, with the arrival of the Arabs was plundered and turned into a real eastern fortress. And with the Normans, the city gained a new life, the symbol of which was the most beautiful palaces and temples. The memory of each of these peoples still preserves Taormina.

Sicily modern is first of all a resort region. And Taormina is not an exception. This is a city-picture, where an ideal atmosphere for tourists is created. Here everything attracts the look of the traveler - and elegant fountains, beautiful squares, and cozy hotels, and friendly restaurants, not to mention the colorful shops selling pottery and marzipans, which Sicily is so famous for.

Taormina, traveler's reviews of which, full of enthusiasm, are no longer the first hundred years, is rightly considered the most poetic city on the island. Here they drew inspiration from Maupassant, Wagner, Goethe, Dali, Dumas, Nabokov, Akhmatova ... Sights are everywhere. Architectural monuments of the Greco-Roman era harmoniously coexist with the medieval period palaces and colorful souvenir benches, and the colorful Mediterranean vegetation, fragrant under the Sicilian sun, emphasizes man-made beauty.

The city is divided into two zones - the historical center and the coastal part. Between them, the funicular runs, after which you can go down to the sea after visiting the architectural sights. On the coast of tourists are waiting for luxury hotels, equipped beaches and waters of the warm Ionian Sea. This area is known as Taormina Mare.

Sicily in most tourists is associated primarily with beach holidays. But in Taormina, the desire to lie on the shore appears in the last place. There are so many interesting things here! Connoisseurs of architectural monuments await the Church of Catherine of Alexandria and the Palace of Corvaya, the cathedral and the ancient theater, the square and the baroque fountain, the medieval chapel and the church of the patron saint of the city - Saint Pancras. Especially we like tourists an open Greek theater - a witness of that distant era, when only Taormina was born. Sicily in all its glory, crowned with the cone of the volcano Etna, opens before the eyes of travelers from this point of the city. The Pubblico Giardino Park is also charming with cool alleys, sculptures and intricate structures reminiscent of Chinese pagodas. In summer, the city hosts a variety of exhibitions and festivals, including the famous Taormina Film Festival. During this period Taormina becomes especially noisy and lively.

Sicily deservedly proud of this mountain town, which for its centuries-old history has seduced not one hundred poets, artists, writers and ordinary travelers. Even the most sophisticated tourists are touched by its uneasy history and impressive bright southern beauty.