HISTORY OF TAORMINA:
During the Iron Age, before the Greeks arrived in Sicily, the area around Taormina was inhabited by the Siculi. During Roman times and even after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the city was one of the most important on the island and enjoyed some independence. Read More [...]
In 962, Taormina was conquered by the Fatimids after a siege of 30 weeks, and was renamed Al-Mu'izziyya in honour of Caliph al-Mu'izz. The Arabs were defeated in 1078 by the Normans of Roger I of Sicily. After the fall of the Normans, the city was ruled by the Angevins and, later, by the Aragonese.
Taormina was part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies until 1860, when it was included, along with the whole Sicily, in the Kingdom of Italy.
GEOGRAPHY OF TAORMINA:
Today, Taormina is a town of about 11,000 inhabitants, part of the Metropolitan City of Messina and the Italian region of Sicily. The town is built on a hill, about 200 meters above the sea level, on a terrace of Mount Tauro, with the Mount Etna in the background. Read More [...]
Taormina is located 33 kilometers north of Acireale, 49 kilometers southwest of Messina and about the same distance northeast of Catania, 110 kilometers north of Syracuse, 140 kilometers northeast of Ragusa, 144 kilometers north of Noto, 145 kilometers northeast of Modica, and about 225 kilometers east of Palermo.
TRANSPORT TO TAORMINA:
The closest airport is Vicenzo Bellini Airport, near Catania. Etna Trasporti provides direct buses from the airport to Taormina. The trip takes about one hour and a half and a ticket costs 8.20€. Read More [...]
You can get to Taormina by train, from Catania and Messina. A train ticket from either Catania or Messina costs 5.80€ and the trip takes between half an hour and one hour and a half. The railway station is called Taormina-Giardini and is located about 2 kilometers from the historical center of the town. From the station, to get to Taormina, you can take a bus or you can simply walk. If you decide to walk, keep in mind that the climb is quite difficult. On the other hand, a bus ticket is only 2€.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN TAORMINA:
Taormina is one of the most important tourist destinations in Sicily, known for its landscapes, beaches and for its monuments. Read More [...]