The Secret of Its Success

The most striking feature about Taormina is its strategic position which has ensured its popularity as a tourist destination, and also as an artistic and cultural centre. The Greeks, with their passion for architecture and theatre, left Taormina the legacy of the famous amphitheatre. It remains one of the principal attractions of the city, and today is a venue for classical music, pop and dance, as well major events. These include the famous Taormina Film Festival during which the 'nastri d'argento' or silver ribbons, are awarded. Movie stars and famous writers cannot resist the fascination of the Teatro Antico, with its view that seems too beautiful to be real. In a typical Greek architecture style, the theatre was built following the natural slope of Mount Tauro, and in the evening, looking between the antique columns you can see the reflections of the 'lampare' , characteristic fishing boats. Turning your gaze upwards, the Etna Volcano offers its profile as if it knows it is being observed.

Cultural Heritage

From the moment in which the poet Goethe described Taormina in his works Italienische Reis, (Travels in Italy), and Gloeden immortalised the natural beauty of the landscape with his photographs, Taormina became a fashionable place for the nobles, literati and artists who arrived in great numbers to see the famous 'Ionian Pearl'. Starting in the 19th century, the town also offered refuge to a distinguished collection of people including Edward VII, the Tsar of Russia Nicholas 1, the composer Richard Wagner, the eccentric poet Oscar Wilde and the philosopher Sigmund Freud. Attracted by the welcoming atmosphere of the town, the arrival of this diverse group started a tradition of extravagance and eccentricity, inspiring the Sicilian writer Massimo Simili to write about the 'craziness of Taormina'.

(written by: Anna Li Volsi | translated by: Samantha Collins)

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