This photo journal, part 1 of 2 featuring the popular seaside resort of Taormina (tair-MEE-nah), spotlights the Ancient Greek Amphitheater, the most remarkable monument remaining in Taormina, as well as 3 important churches in town. Also included are a few photos of our hotel in the nearby beach resort of Giardini-Naxos & some panoramic views of the area.

TAORMINA (tair-MEE-nah), Sicily’s most beautiful town & greatest resort, is located on the east coast of Sicily on the slopes of Monte Tauro, for which it was named. The picturesque town overlooks the craggy Ionian seacoast below, with its two picturesque bays. Looming in the distance, just 45 minutes away by car, is Mount Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano which is often capped with snow. With its medieval charm & unique views, this 19th century haunt of the English & European aristocracy is often described as the “Sicilian Monte Carlo” - without the casino or royal family, of course.

A little history: Taormina was founded in 358 BC by a group of Greek colonizers from nearby Naxos as a satellite colony. Since then, other ancient peoples were drawn to Taormina, & controlled the city at one time or another, including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese & Bourbons. More info about the complex history of Taormina, which mirrors the history of Sicily, can be found here: http://www.bestofsicily.com/taormina.htm

Taormina was just too good to remain unspoiled. Since the opening of the first hotel in 1874, Taormina (current pop about 11,000), with its scenic beauty & mild climate, has become one of the world’s top tourist destinations. It was first publicized by a trio of German artists - writer J.W.Goethe, German painter Otto Geleng, & Prussian Wilhelm von Gloeden, the photographer who took the now famous artistic portraits of nude shepherd boys with Mount Etna in the background. His pictures sent European high society flocking to Taormina, & the rest, as they say, is history. Since then many important celebrities & artists have visited Taormina & have extolled its virtues - D.H. Lawrence (he wrote Lady Chatterly's Lover here) , Truman Capote, John Steinbeck, Oscar Wilde, & Johannes Brahms, to name but a few. In more recent times movie, theater, & music celebrities such as Ingmar Bergmann, Francis Ford Coppola, Leonard Bergman, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Elizabeth Taylor, Woody Allen, & many others have spent pleasant & memorable holidays in this Mediterranean pearl.

In spite of the hordes that descend here in summer, Taormina has remained charming with much of its medieval character intact. Outside the walls, on the hilltops, are the ruins of two medieval fortresses. And within its ancient stone walls you will find archeological monuments as well as intimate piazzas & palazzi, & medieval churches dating from the 15th to the 19th century.

You can dine in a different restaurant every day of the week, linger at the many sidewalk cafes, & browse the countless shops that sell everything from souvenir trinkets to antiques for well-heeled visitors. You can attend top level performances at the ancient Greek Theater, or attend art exhibitions. The magnificent views of the seacoast & Etna complete the picture. So if you're looking for a glimpse of Sicily's beauty & history from many angles in one single place, Taormina is a good choice.

NAXOS (NAX-osh), which is considered Sicily's oldest Greek city, is located just 3 miles south of Taormina, in the locality known as Giardini-Naxos near Cape Schisò. Little remains here of the ancient city except for some structural foundations & the pavement stones of ancient streets. (Apparently, there’s an archaeological garden in the area.)

Giardini-Naxos opens onto a wide, curving bay with a beach that is justifiably one of the most popular on the island. The bay lies between Capo (Cape) Taormina in the northwest & Capo Schisò to the south. The point of Capo Schisò, formed by an ancient lava flow from Mount Etna, was the natural landfall for mariners rounding the toe of Italy on their way from eastern Mediterranean ports.

A little history: Naxos, which was founded in 735 BCE by the first Greek to land on Sicilian soil, was once a flourishing city much larger than ancient Taormina. From their base at Naxos, the Greeks branched out to take over more of Sicily. The colony at Naxos thrived until it was destroyed by Dionysius of Syracusa in 403 BCE. The residents then fled north & founded Taormina around 395 BCE, but it too was eventually conquered by Dionysius in 392 BCE.

Many visitors, especially those wanting a beach holiday, stay in Giardini-Naxos where they can walk to the beach from their hotel. They then take the short local bus ride to hilltop Taormina for day trips, a much better arrangement. In fact, because of increasing beach development over the years, the resort of Giardini-Naxos now competes with Taormina for visitors, although it lacks Taormina’s medieval charm. Basically, Giardini-Naxos is Taormina's dormitory. (As one local said, "Taormina has the class, we have the sands.")

These days, the resort area, which has more style than most beach resorts in Sicily, caters mainly to package-tours. All the trappings of tourism are evident in this once-tranquil fishing village, with its many sports facilities, amusement parks, handicraft shops, antique stores, hotels, trattorie (casual eating places), & beachside bars. The resort even functions during the short winter, especially for northern Europeans who find Giardini-Naxos's weather balmy at that time of year.

CHURCHES: There are some important churches I missed in Taormina. One is the 13th century Duomo, Taormina’s main cathedral, which was built over the ruins of a small medieval church. This Gothic cathedral (Church of San Nicola), located in the Piazza del Duomo, is also called the Fortress Cathedral because it looks like a fortress. The famous Byzantine Madonna is now kept in this church. Also in the piazza is an historic Baroque fountain (1635). Exterior & interior photos can be found here: http://www.galenfrysinger.com/churches_of_taormina_sicily.htm

St. George's Anglican Church was designed by an English architect & built in the early 1920s by a small group of English expats who spent most of the year in Taormina. It is best known for its large polychrome window behind the main altar. It is located on Via Pirandello near the cable-car station.

The Church of St. Augustine, now Taormina’s public library, was built at the end of the 15th century. Apparently, it was originally dedicated to St. Sebastian who had worked a miracle, kept the plague away, & saved the city. However, when the Augustinians arrived, they took over the church, enlarged it, turned it into a monastery, & renamed it St. Augustine. Originally decorated in late Sicilian Gothic style, the main portal & facade were radically changed around the year 1700, & all that remains of the original facade is a small rosette & the top of the ogival arch of the old portal.

The Shrine to our Lady of the Fortress, aka the Santuario Madonna della Rocca, was built in 1640 in a natural grotto situated on the top of Mount Tauro, behind Taormina. The site apparently offers one of the most beautiful panoramas of the area & is a favorite sight-seeing attraction. http://www.travelandtransitions.com/images/Sicily2007/tao3-3.jpg

The former San Domenico Monastery, which dates back to 1430, is now the 5 star San Domenico Palace Hotel. The original structures are still being used. The Congress Center occupies the former church of the ancient monastery & still retains the original exterior. More info & excellent photo gallery here: http://www.thi-hotels.com/hotels/san-domenico-palace-hotel/gallery.html

More info about all the churches: http://www.taormina-ol.it/taormina/taormina_11.htm