Taormina
Sicily Tour - Photos/Info: Etna - Siracusa
) |
) |
) |
) |
) |
) |
) |
| #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 |
| Taormina High above (204m/670ft) the Ionian Sea and Isola Bella (PHOTOS #1, #3), up a steep winding road with exposed catacombs, sits a gem of a town - Taormina. Look one way and admire the beautiful Ionian seacoast, look another and view the small village of Castelmola, precariously perched high atop Monte Tauro and turn yet another direction and you're faced with the belching, forbidding, but enthralling Mount Etna. 2000 years ago, the Greeks selected this spot to erect their theater (PHOTOS #4-7). It didn't seem to matter that 100,000 cubic meters (3½ million cubic feet) of limestone rock first had to be removed. The theater measures 109m (358') in diameter and dates back to the 3rd century BC. Originally designed for plays, the Romans greatly modified the theater in the 2nd century AD to better accommodate gladiator contests and other forms of Roman entertainment. With Mount Etna in the background and built to accommodate 5,400 spectators, it's still used today much more inline with the Greeks intentions, not the Romans. Taormina's public gardens, Villa Comunale Duca Colonna di Cesaro, are an absolute delight. A stroll among the lush vegetation overlooking both the Ionian Sea and Mount Etna will surely rest your travel weary body and soul. To lighten the mood further, scattered among the gardens are numerous ornamental toy buildings built at the end of the 19th century (Victorian Follies). While it would take a week to fully see all that Taormina has to offer, a good place to start is Corso Umberto (PHOTOS #2). Leading to some of the town's most interesting churches, piazzas and fountains, Corso Umberto is lined with quaint cafes, eateries and small craft and antique shops sitting beside upscale boutiques. |