Taormina

Taormina is an ancient hill town in the Province of Messina, set on a natural rocky terrace about 200 metres above the Ionian Sea. From this height it looks across the coast, the Bay of Naxos and Mount Etna, giving the town a dramatic position between mountain, sea and sky.

Its early origins are uncertain, but ancient sources connect the area with the Sicels, the Greek presence around Naxos and the settlement known as Tauroménion. Over time, Taormina absorbed Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman and medieval layers, a history reflected in its urban fabric and long strategic importance above the eastern Sicilian coast. In 1411, the first Sicilian Parliament met here under Queen Bianca of Navarre, adding a notable political chapter to the town’s past.

Today Taormina has an elegant and lively character, with a walkable historic centre, panoramic open spaces, cafés and year-round visitors. What makes it distinctive is the rare combination of a high coastal setting, views toward Etna and a layered Mediterranean identity carried from Tauroménion into modern Sicily.