TAORMINA DOWNTOWN

“DISCOVERING TAORMINA. PLACE OF SEDUCTION.”

 by Fabrizio Fiorenzano

For a man like me, of Sicilian origins, that spends in Taormina his annual summery vacations since the birth, this place does not represent only a place where is advisable to stay for a charming and relaxing period, but it is also a small city at which I feel very tied and from which I still continue, every time, to feel attracted and fascinated. For who instead arrives at Taormina for the first time in the life, the city succeeds to give magical and powerful emotions.

I have traveled a lot around the world and through Italy too. I have visited and known cities of the world that surprised me so much for their beauty and mysteries, but I must recognize and admit that many of them can be distinguished from the others for a multitude of characteristics that place them to an advanced level. One of these places is, of course, Taormina.

Let’s begin to say that the “Planet Sicily” is so various and above all so different from all the rest of the Italian regions, especially for its architectonic, historical, natural and geologic characteristics, and so unique in its kind.

If we arrive by car or by train at the most southern city of Calabria: Villa San Giovanni, the port from where we have to take the ship in order to cross the sea, we can already admire the Sicilian coast far only 5 kilometers. In front of our eyes appears Messina that welcomes us in the most beautiful and biggest Italian region. 

Taormina is exactly in the middle, between the cities of Catania and Messina and it is far about 50 kilometres from both.

According to the history, the birth of this important tourist site is dated with the arrival of some Greek refugees that came from the near city of Naxos, today known and famous for its shoreline, its hotels and structures oriented to the night life, and its beaches. But we must not forget that its notoriety is given to it by Taormina, without which, the Naxos bay and all the rest of it, would not be known.

Settled on to hill of the Monte Tauro, approximately at 200 meters on the sea level, Taormina has a particular conformation that makes it resemble, in its structure, to a great terrace with a beautiful panoramic sight in which it detaches in an overbearing way the near and frightening volcano Etna, the highest one in Europe. Here the tourism is active all the year, except for the months between November and February, months in which we have the minimum number of visits and simultaneously, many people of Taormina close their stores for holidays. Tourism activities are facilitated, not only for its typical, cultural and naturalistic beauty that is possible to find in Taormina, but also due its perfect receptive and recreational system and again, for the typical Sicilian human warm. Another particularity of the Sicilian people is their prompt and concrete intelligence, typical characteristic of this extraordinary people that know perfectly well how can be determining and important the influx of tourists. For this reason, all the organization that turns around the tourism, is absolutely perfect.

Through the centuries, the city has been always a large tourist goal that has accommodated numerous and famous personalities belonging to the cultural world, fashion and show world.

In 1787, J.W. Goethe discovered the beauties of Sicily and, in particular, the beauties of Taormina. Other famous people like Guglielm II of Germany, Maupassant, D. H. Lawrence, Oscar Wilde, Brahms, and some designers such as Christian Dior, illustrious women like the English lady Florence Trevelyan, the German painter Geleng.

English and French noble people visited Taormina and they were in love with it. The American writer Truman Capote spent many years of his life in Taormina and here he wrote two of his most famous books: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “In cold blood”.

Elisabeth Taylor, in 1967, spent the honey moon with her husband Richard Burton. She was 35 and it was her fifth wedding. During a jealousy crisis happened in the hall of the Saint Domenico Hotel, the beautiful American actress broke off, over her husband’s head, a guitar belonging to the orchestra, just because Richard Burton seemed to watch insistently a nice blond Italian dancer.

For many years, from 1950 to 1979, Taormina was the secret shelter of Greta Garbo. She always arrived here using a false name (Harriet Brown). She was scared and annoyed by the public and by journalists. Those few people that knew that that woman was Greta Garbo, pretended to recognize her because the wish of the “divine” was of not be recognized. When she reached Taormina she was hosted in the house of her friend, the German dietician Gayelord Hauser.

The main street, the “Corso Umberto”, crosses Taormina from a head to the other. It combines the two old doors of access to the city, the two old stone arches called Messina Door (door of north) and Catania Door (door of south). The greater part of the tourist spends the time on this road in which the automobiles circulation is strictly forbidden, except for the first hours of the morning. The street is full of bars, exclusive restaurants and important high fashion shops. Here can be very relaxing to take a walk for the shopping or to take a chair at one of the many outdoor bar-tables tasting a cappuccino or a Sicilian granita (a fresh glass full of crushed ice mixed to lemon, almond or strawberry) and watching the people walking through Corso Umberto. It can happen therefore to see some important and famous person turning around the streets of Taormina mixed to common people sometime dressed in eccentric way.

We will meet the extraordinary street painters and the street portraitists that are another great attraction for everybody. They are able to portray your face in about thirty minutes with high professionalism.

Part of the city’s tradition the refines and elegant homosexuals contributing to give a touch of class and refinement to the social life. I also suggest to leave the crowded Corso Umberto if you want discover some hidden beauties of the city. I am talking about the silent, romantic and perfumed alleys adorned with flowers and colorful plants. Walking through one of the many stairs that go up or down at the sides of Corso Umberto is easy to admire the panorama and other characteristic angles of the houses of Taormina and where you will discover some of the most typical Sicilian and International bars, night clubs and restaurants wrapped by flowers and climbing plants.

Is easy to reach the beaches of Taormina. The cable-way connects the city with the coast. Mazzarò is the first bay you will find in front of the exit of the cable-way. Is advisable to spend one day at Isola Bella beach. This is a shocking emotion!!! This bay, in fact, is protected by WWF and its water is so clean and crystalline. More than 150 stairs can tire your legs but this effort is absolutely well compensated.

Some of the most important historical and archaeological references of Taormina are:

The ancient Roman-Greek theatre:

The Ancient Theatre is not only an historical piece of the archaeological patrimony of Taormina. It is also a place of incomparable panoramic beauty. Here are realized some important theatrical and cultural manifestations, especially in the month of July. Here have been awarded artists coming from Hollywood like Cary Grant, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Rita Hayworth, Joan Crawford, Lara Turner, Greta Garbo, Rudolf Nureyev, Woody Allen, Marlene Dietrich and many others. 

From here is possible to admire a 360 degrees view, spacing from the Etna volcano to the Calabria’s coasts.

It is not clear if the old theatre of Taormina is of Greek or of Roman origins. Many experts and critical of art discussed about this and the most probable answer is that it was made during the Greek age and subsequently restructured and widened during the Roman age. A prove of the fact that the theatre is of Greek origin is given by the presence, under the theatre, of stone blocks of Taormina (similar to the marble), that constitutes the real example of the way to construct buildings of the Greeks.

Palazzo Corvaja

It takes the name from the Corvaja family, one of most ancient and noble families of Taormina, than was the owners from 1538 to 1945. It is located in Badia square and it is the most important medieval palace of the city. Initially it was an Arabic tower built for military purposes. The right side of the Palace was realized at the beginning of the fifth century in order to allow the reunions of the Sicilian Parliament.

Municipal park

The municipal park of Taormina is a true example of architectonic wonder, it is formed from three hectares of dense and typically Mediterranean vegetation and by a poetic interlace of hedges and flower-beds. Characteristics are the turrets Chinese pagoda style, made with bricks and surrounded of pumice lava, hard wanted by the rich and noble English Lady: Florence Trevelyan. She was a convinced ornithologist, which in those turrets took delight in to the study of the birds.

The Naumachie

The rests of the Naumachie are constituted from a large and sturdy massive wall, than, after the Roman-Greek Theatre, is the most ancient Greek ruin existing in Taormina. Its construction dates back to the 1° the century b.C. Its length is of 122 meters and its height is about 5 meters. There are 18 great niches, wide 3 meters, and deep 1,70 and high like the wall. Here were placed the statues of divinities and heroes.

In conclusion we can say that in the life of any traveler, old or young, male or female, Taormina cannot absolutely ignored. This is a so seductive and enchanting place from which is so hard to accept the idea to leave it.

J.W. Goethe wrote: “Without Sicily, Italy cannot be fully understood. It is here that one finds the key to all things “

Photos and text by Fabrizio Fiorenzano

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