Taormina (Italian: [ta.orˈmiːna]; Sicilian: Taurmina) is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on the Ionian Sea, including that of Isola Bella, are accessible via an aerial tramway built in 1992, and via highways from Messina in the north and Catania in the south.

History

Taormina as seen from the Norman castle overlooking the town.

There are many accounts regarding the origins of Taormina (Tauromenion, Tauromenium—derived from the Ancient Greek place name Ταυρομένιον), yet none are well-documented or reliable. The most widely accepted hypothesis links the name to the city's location on a hill.

Sicel and Greco-Sicilian Era

In Book XIV of his Bibliotheca historica, Diodorus Siculus states that the Sicels inhabited the stronghold of Taormina—subsisting on agriculture and livestock—even before the arrival of Greeks from Chalcis in the bay (735 BC). There, at the mouth of the Alcantara River, they founded Naxos (modern-day Giardini Naxos), the first Greek colony in Sicily. Legend has it that Greek sailors passing along Sicily's eastern coast failed to offer sacrifices to Poseidon; enraged, the god caused their ship to wreck. The sole survivor, Theocles, reached Capo Schisò—near Naxos—and returned to Greece to recount the wonders of Sicily, persuading his compatriots to settle on the island.

Following the destruction of Naxos by Dionysius I of Syracuse—an ally of Sparta in the war against Athenian imperialism and heir to the Pan-Sicilian policy championed by Hermocrates at the Congress of Gela—Dionysius unified the Greco-Sicilian cities under his rule. He would not tolerate the presence at Naxos of Ionians from Chalcidian Euboea (allies of Athens) and moved against them, destroying the city.

After the destruction of Naxos by Dionysius I of Syracuse in 403 BC, its territory was handed over to the Sicels,[3] who built a camp on Mount Tauros, slightly to the north of the old city. Later, around 396 BC, it was converted into a fortress named "Tauromenion."[4] Dionysius attempted to occupy it but was repelled at least twice.[5] The survivors from Naxos occupied territory on Mount Tauros, where Sicels lived alongside other Ionians who had relocated there from Naxos. These events took place during the 96th Olympiad (396 BC), when the Carthaginian general Himilco declared war on the Sicels and destroyed Messana. Threatened by Dionysius, the Naxians moved en masse to Tauromenion, a naturally fortified hill. When Dionysius sought to retake the Tauromenians' territory by force, they replied that it belonged to them by right, as their Greek ancestors had seized it before them, driving out the local inhabitants. In 392 BC... A peace treaty was signed, under which the city was handed over to Dionysius; he expelled the Sicels and settled his own mercenaries there.[6]

The historian Vito Amico (1697–1762) states that this account of Taormina's origins provided by Diodorus is contradicted in Book XVI, where he maintains that Andromachus gathered the survivors of the 403 BC massacre at Naxos and persuaded them to settle—in 358 BC—on the slopes of a nearby "bull-shaped" hill. The nascent settlement took the name Tauromenion, a place name composed of Tauros (bull) and the Greek form Menein, meaning "to remain."[7]

While the information provided by Cluverius aligns with Diodorus's second account, Strabo states that Taormina originated with settlers from Zancle-Messana and Naxos. This would go some way toward explaining Pliny's assertion that Taormina was originally named Naxos.

In 358 BC, Andromachus—father of the historian Timaeus—gathered the former inhabitants of Naxos who had been scattered across Sicily; under his leadership, they settled at Tauromenium, a town that soon expanded.[8] In 345 BC, Timoleon landed there from Corinth—having evaded the Carthaginians—to seek the city's military support against the tyranny of Dionysius II, whose rule from Syracuse extended across Sicily east of the Salso River. According to Diodorus, Taormina flourished and became a center of wealth and power under the wise governance of Andromachus. Because Andromachus ruled through a fair and democratic system, he earned Timoleon's respect.[9] Later, the city fell into the hands of Agathocles, who sent the historian Timaeus into exile.

After Agathocles, Taormina was seized by a tyrant named Tyndarion, a contemporary of Hicetas of Syracuse and Phintias of Agrigentum.[10] Tyndarion was one of those who invited King Pyrrhus of Epirus to Sicily in 278 BC. Pyrrhus landed at Tauromenium and, together with Tyndarion, marched against Syracuse.[11] Only a few years later, Hiero II of Syracuse controlled the city and used it as a base against the Mamertines. Hiero retained the city following the treaty with Rome in 263 BC. It remained under Syracusan control after Hiero's death.[12]

Roman Era

During the Second Punic War, the pro-Roman faction is believed to have held sway. The city passed to Rome along with the rest of the island, but Taormina received preferential treatment from Marcellus. He granted it the status of a federated and allied city—one of only three on the island—allowing it to retain nominal independence; unlike other cities in Sicily, it was under no obligation to provide ships for the Roman navy.

In 212 BC, Rome declared all of Sicily a Roman province. Its inhabitants were considered Roman allies; in his second oration against Verres, Cicero identifies the city as one of the three civitates foederatae (federated states)[8], referring to them as civitates notabiles (distinguished states)[9][10]. Consequently, the inhabitants were exempt from paying tithes or equipping ships and sailors in times of need.

During the First Servile War (134–132 BC), Tauromenium was occupied by insurgent slaves who chose it as a secure stronghold. For several years, they defied the Roman consul Publius Rupilius; besieged by the Roman forces, they held out for a long time, enduring even starvation. They surrendered only when one of their leaders, Serapion, betrayed his comrades and allowed the fortress to be taken. Serapion and other prominent leaders were executed.

In 36 BC, the city was occupied by Sextus Pompey during the war against Octavian (later Augustus); it became the site of a naval battle between Pompey's fleet and Octavian's, which Pompey won. Octavian's troops subsequently landed at Naxos in an attempt to retake the city. To repopulate Tauromenium following the damage caused by the war—and also to secure control over it—Octavian (by then known as Augustus) sent a colony of loyal Romans there in 21 BC, while simultaneously expelling the inhabitants who had opposed him. After the war, Octavian established a Roman colony there, expelling the former inhabitants.

Strabo describes Tauromenion as a small city—smaller than Messina and Catania. Pliny and Ptolemy note its status as a Roman colony.

The Late Empire and Byzantium

The city endured throughout the Roman Empire, producing high-quality wine and marble from its quarries that was highly prized. An ally of Rome, it became the capital of Byzantine Sicily following the fall of the Roman Empire. It remained a Byzantine possession until 906.

According to a widespread legend, with the arrival of Christianity, Saint Peter appointed Bishop Pancratius—who was already carrying out missionary work in the region—to Taormina, thereby establishing the seat of the first bishopric in Sicily. [11] Pancratius is said to have built the first church on the city's eastern slopes, dedicated to the Apostles Peter and Paul; however, there is no historical documentation confirming the actual existence of this figure, as the earliest references to him date from after the end of Islamic rule.

A succession of bishops—"highly distinguished for the holiness of their lives, their zeal, and their doctrine," writes Vito Amico—served until the Arab era. Little information survives regarding this period, which encompasses the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, the Gothic invasion, the Byzantine presence, and the Arab-Islamic conquest.

The fact is that Taormina held a strategically important position for military control of the surrounding territory; for 62 years, alongside Rometta, it served as the last stronghold of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) in Sicily, repeatedly withstanding Saracen attacks[13] until the year 902.

Muslim Rule

On August 1, 902, following a siege, Taormina was conquered by the Arabs. With the typical exaggeration found in medieval chronicles, it is said that all male inhabitants were beheaded—including Bishop Saint Procopius, whose head was carried on a silver tray to the Saracen commander, the Aghlabid Ibrahim II. Undoubtedly, the slaughter was immense, claiming the lives of many women and children, and was exacerbated by the cruel nature and instability of Ibrahim II.

Although all of Sicily had already been unified under the powerful Emirate of Sicily, the Christian population regained control of the city in 911, taking advantage of the traumatic transfer of power that had occurred the previous year between the Sunni Aghlabid dynasty and the Ismaili Shia Fatimid dynasty. The Sicilian emir Ahmad b. al-Qurhub, who remained loyal to the deposed Aghlabid dynasty of Kairouan, organized an expedition to retake Taormina; in 913, he sent his son Ali to besiege the city. However, the city resisted tenaciously, to the point that the besieger was forced to abandon the attempt.

In 919, the new emir of Palermo, Salim ibn Rashid—loyal to the Fatimids—granted a truce to Taormina and other strongholds in the Val Demone. The truce ended when, in 962, the Emir of Sicily, Hasan I, once again besieged Taormina for seven months, a campaign that concluded with the city's surrender in 963; the most attractive women were taken to the Fatimid Imam al-Muʿizz, while the others were enslaved. Many of the surviving inhabitants fled to take refuge in the surrounding mountains.

Arrival of the Normans and the Birth of the Kingdom of Sicily

Palace of the Dukes of San Stefano

The great Count Roger seized the city and, after conquering Castronovo, set out to conquer Val Demone, laying siege to the city by constructing twenty-two fortresses; however, the Arab-Sicilian defenders of the fallen Sicilian Emirate held out for a long time before capitulating in 1078.

In 1130, the city became a permanent part of the Kingdom of Sicily, founded by King Roger II. From 1272, the governor of Taormina was Giovanni Natoli, Baron of Sparta. </ref> When the episcopal seat was moved to the city, Taormina became a royal city (città demaniale), falling first under the Diocese of Troina and later under that of Messina.

Taormina shared in the history of the Kingdom of Sicily under the Swabian and Angevin dynasties, and subsequently under the House of Aragon following the Sicilian Vespers of 1282. In 1410, the Sicilian Parliament—one of the oldest in Europe—held a historic session in Taormina at the Palazzo Corvaja, in the presence of Queen Blanche of Navarre, to elect the King of Sicily following the death of Martin I, known as "the Younger."

In the 16th century, Philip IV of Spain (Philip III of Sicily) granted the city the privilege of belonging permanently to the Crown. In 1675, during the anti-Spanish revolt in Messina, Taormina remained loyal to the Spanish Crown and the Kingdom of Sicily. For this reason, it was besieged by the French—allies of Messina—who conquered it in September 1676. The French did not consider it an important city; indeed, for a time, it fell under the military jurisdiction of nearby Savoca, which had shortly before surrendered to the French after negotiating favorable terms of capitulation. In 1678, following the French defeat, Taormina returned to the fold of the Spanish Empire—which included the Kingdom of Sicily, governed by a viceroy—and regained its former privileges.

19th and 20th Centuries: Taormina as an International Tourist Destination

View of Taormina in the first half of the 19th century

Despite the occupation of the Kingdom of Naples by Napoleonic troops in 1799, the Kingdom of Sicily was never invaded; it remained independent and emerged victorious from the Napoleonic Wars. For this reason, King Ferdinand III of Sicily wished to reward Taormina for its long-standing loyalty to the Bourbons; during an official visit, as a token of appreciation, he gifted Isola Bella to the mayor at the time, Pancrazio Ciprioti.

The Bourbons improved access to the city. Since Roman times, the route had relied on the narrow Via Consularis Valeria, which wound through the hills and crossed the Catrabico promontory, thereby creating a coastal road that easily connected Messina with Catania.

Many European countries, as well as famous writers and artists (such as Goethe, Maupassant, and Houel), showed interest in this delightful location and its archaeological treasures. From that time on, Taormina developed into a destination for elite tourism—initially drawing visitors primarily from England. Among the residents were Florence Trevelyan (1852–1907)—daughter of Edward Spencer Trevelyan (1805–1854) and Catherine Ann Forster (1815–1877). After an extensive journey, Trevelyan returned to her home country for a time but decided to move back to Taormina, radically transforming both the town and its surrounding area. She married Salvatore Cacciola—a professor of surgery at the University of Bologna, a Masonic Grand Master, and an enlightened theosophist—who served as mayor of Taormina for over twenty years, through various ups and downs. Trevelyan initially assisted the La Floresta family—free of charge—in expanding Taormina's first hotel, the Hotel Timeo; she later purchased the rocky outcrop of San Stefano, transforming it into an earthly paradise that was subsequently named Isola Bella during a discussion between her and the German baron and gay photographer Wilhelm von Gloeden. Between 1897 and 1898, she acquired 87 plots of land to create a park she named "Hallington Siculo," in honor of Hallington Hall, the small village in Lincolnshire where she had once lived. After her death, in order to ensure the park remained in the hands of the people of Taormina rather than the English, Cesare Acrosso—Cacciola’s only grandson—acting in agreement with Giovanni Colonna, Duke of Cesarò, expropriated the property and transferred it via Royal Decree-Law 528 of February 18, 1923.

”Two nude boys along the seaside” by Wilhelm von Gloeden. Gloeden’s photographs became famous across Europe, possibly being one of the main factors for Taormina’s tourism boom.[14]

King Edward VII arrived from England (in 1906 and 1908), while figures from Germany included Johann Wolfgang von Goethe—who mentioned Taormina in his Italian Journey (Italienische Reise)—Wilhelm von Gloeden, the painter Otto Geleng, writers and philosophers such as Goethe and Friedrich Nietzsche (who wrote *Thus Spoke Zarathustra* here), Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Kaiser Wilhelm II[15] with his cousin Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova and her friends, Grand Duke Paul of Russia, Prince Felix Yusupov with Princess Irina, and Archduke Mikhail Pavlovich (brother of Tsar Nicholas II). Also present were Ignazio Florio and Franca Florio—"the star of Italy," as the Kaiser called her, and a friend of Trevelyan—Gabriele D'Annunzio, Gustav Klimt, Sigmund Freud, Edmondo De Amicis, as well as bankers, magnates, and aristocrats from all over the world.[16]

Later in the 20th century, Taormina emerged from World War II without major disruption and remained an exclusive winter retreat; the best hotels opened in October and closed in June. Visitors included Truman Capote, André Gide, D. D.H. Lawrence, Tennessee Williams, Greta Garbo, Ava Gardner, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, the politician Willy Brandt, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands...

Taormina soon became world-famous—as much for the beauty of its landscapes, vistas, and colors, and the sight of snow-capped, smoking Mount Etna descending to the turquoise sea, as for its permissiveness and "transgression," its "cultured circles," the "myth of Arcadia," and its unbridled dolce vita.

Main sights

The present town of Taormina occupies the ancient site, on a hill that forms the last projecting point of the mountain ridge that extends along the coast from Cape Pelorus to this point. The site of the old town is about 250 metres (820 ft) above the sea, while a very steep and almost isolated rock, crowned by a Norman castle, rises about 150 metres (490 ft) higher. This is the likely site of the ancient Arx or citadel, an inaccessible position mentioned by ancient writers. Portions of the ancient walls may be traced at intervals all round the brow of the hill, the whole of the summit of which was occupied by the ancient city. Numerous fragments of ancient buildings are scattered over its surface, including extensive reservoirs of water, sepulchres, tessellated pavements, and the remains of a spacious edifice, commonly called a Naumachia, the real purpose of which is difficult to determine.

Saracen Castle:[17] Built by the Arabs about 400 meters high on the rock of Monte Tauro, the Castello Saraceno dominated Taormina and its bay, and controlled the valley of the river Alcantara.[18]

Arab Necropolis:[19] The necropolis was probably built between the ninth and eleventh century with symmetrical cells positioned one on the other. Located outside the city walls that defended the town of Taormina, the necropolis extended northeastward between the existing ruins and the Church of St. Pietro.[20]

The ancient theatre of Taormina is built for the most part of brick, and is therefore probably from Roman times, though its plan and arrangement are in accordance with those of Greek theatres; it is speculated that the present structure was rebuilt upon the foundations of an older theatre of the Greek period. With a diameter of 109 metres (358 ft) (after an expansion in the 2nd century), this theatre is the second largest of its kind in Sicily (after that of Syracuse); it is frequently used for operatic and theatrical performances and concerts. Most of the original seats have disappeared, but the wall that surrounded the whole cavea is preserved, and the proscenium with the back wall of the scena and its appendages, of which only traces remain in most ancient theatres, are preserved in an uncommon state of integrity. From the fragments of architectural decorations still extant it has been determined that these were of the Corinthian order, and richly ornamented. Some portions of a temple are also visible, converted into the church of San Pancrazio, but the edifice is small.

Other sights include the 12th-14th century Palazzo Corvaja, the 13th-century cathedral (Duomo di Taormina), a 1635 Baroque fountain, the Palazzo Duchi di Santo Stefano in 14th-century Gothic style, the Church of San Domenico, the Anglican Church of Saint George, and the municipal gardens (Giardini della Villa Comunale).

Demographic evolution

Foreign ethnicities and minorities

As of 31 December 2023, foreign residents in the municipality were 714, i.e. 6.8% of the population. The largest groups were:[21]

Culture and tourism

Just south of Taormina is the Isola Bella, a nature reserve; and further south, beside a bay, is the popular seaside resort Giardini Naxos. Tours of the Capo Sant'Andrea grottos are available.

Taormina is on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea. Besides the ancient Greek theatre, it has many old churches, lively bars, fine restaurants and antique shops. The Santuario Madonna della Rocca is one such church. Located on the slope above the town, it commands an impressive view of the coast and Mount Etna to the south, and is accessible on foot via the staired path, Salita Castello. Taormina is approximately a 45-minute drive from Europe's largest active volcano, Mount Etna.

Taormina was visited by multiple famous celebrities, such as the Swedish actress Greta Garbo, German actress Marlene Dietrich and the English actress Elizabeth Taylor.

Cultural references

Group photo of G7 leaders at the Ancient Theatre

Taormina inspired the naming of 'Toormina', a suburb of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia.[22]

A part of the film The Big Blue (1988) was set and filmed in Taormina, where the main characters take part in the no limits freediving World Championships.[23]

The second season of the U.S. show The White Lotus primarily takes place in Taormina, and was filmed in various locations throughout the city.[24]

Mark Knopfler's album Tracker (2015) has a song named "Lights of Taormina".

On 26–27 May 2017 Taormina hosted the 43rd G7 summit.[25]

Events

Many exhibitions and events are organized during the summer in Taormina. The exceptional stage for pop and classical concerts, opera and important performances often recorded by television (for example, the ceremony of the Silver Ribbon Award, the Festivalbar, the Kore) is the Ancient Theatre. Since 1983, the most important performances are realized by Taormina Arte, the cultural institution which organizes music, theatre and dance festivals.

Within the programme of Taormina Arte there is the Taormina Film Fest, the heir of the Cinema Festival of Messina and Taormina, dating from 1960, which for about twenty years has hosted the David of Donatello Awards. During the Taormina Film Fest the Silver Ribbons are awarded, a prize created by Italian Film Journalists.

Since 2005, in October, Taormina Arte has organized the Giuseppe Sinopoli Festival, a festival dedicated to its late artistic director.

People

International Relations

Twin towns and sister cities

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ↑ "Monthly Demographic Balance". ISTAT.
  3. ↑ Diodorus Siculus XIV, 15.
  4. ↑ Diodorus Siculus XIV, 59.
  5. ↑ Diodorus Siculus XIV, 87–88.
  6. ↑ Diodorus Siculus XIV, 96.
  7. ↑ Tauri moeniam translates as: walls around Mount Tauros.
  8. ↑ Diodorus Siculus XVI, 7.
  9. ↑ Diodorus Siculus XVI, 68.
  10. ↑ Diodorus Siculus XXII, Excerpta Hoeschel, p. 495.
  11. ↑ Diodorus Siculus XXII, Excerpta Hoeschel, pp. 495–497.
  12. ↑ Diodorus Siculus XXIII, Excerpta Hoeschel, pp. 501–503.
  13. ↑ Thanks to the presence of numerous sources of potable water, cisterns, and underground aqueducts.
  14. ↑ https://artsandculture.google.com › entity › wilhelm-von-gloeden
  15. ↑ 1896–1897, 1901–1904, 1908.
  16. ↑ Dino Papale, *Taormina Segreta - La Belle Epoque 1876-1914*, Milan, Edizioni P&M, 1995, SBN PAL0112641.
  17. ↑ "Saracen castle". That's Taormina map. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  18. ↑ "Saracen castle".
  19. ↑ "Arab Necropolis of Taormina - Sicily". www.enjoysicilia.it. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  20. ↑ "Arab Necropolis of Taormina - Sicily".
  21. ↑ ISTAT (ed.). "Demographic balance and foreign resident population at 31 December 2023 by gender and citizenship". Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  22. ↑ "Toormina". abs.gov.au. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  23. ↑ Le Grand Bleu movie-locations.com
  24. ↑ Aurthur, Kate; Shanfeld, Ethan (20 January 2022). "'The White Lotus' Season 2 Will Be Set in Sicily (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  25. ↑ "G7, Taormina pronta per il vertice: la città si trasforma in fortezza" (in Italian). Repubblica.it. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  26. ↑ "Città gemellate". comune.taormina.me.it (in Italian). Taormina. Retrieved 18 June 2025.


source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taormina