Page 99 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

Duomo, one of Sicily’s 18th-century architect al-
loveliest public spaces. most single-handedly re- TRIP HIGHLIGHT
The cathedral was built built the civic centre into e Taormina
over a pre-existing 5th- an elegant, modern city Over the centuries,
century-BC Greek temple, of spacious boulevards
incorporating most of the and set-piece piazzas. Taormina has seduced
original Doric columns in Long buried under an exhaustive line of
its three-aisled structure. lava, the Graeco-Roman writers and artists, from
The sumptuous baroque Theatre & Odeon (%095 Goethe to DH Lawrence.
The main reason for their
facade was added in the 715 05 08; Via Vittorio Ema-
18th century. nuele II 262; adult/reduced incl swooning? The perfect
horseshoe-shaped Teatro
Casa Liberti €6/3; h9am-7pm
54 p99 Greco (%0942 2 32 20; Via
Mon-Sat, to 1.30pm Sun)
The Drive » From Syracuse to remind you that the city’s Teatro Greco; adult/reduced
Catania, it is a 66km drive north history goes back much €10/5; h9am-1hr before sun-
along the A18. This is orange- further. Picturesquely set), suspended between
growing country and you will sited in a crumbling sea and sky, with glorious ITALY 6 WONDERS OF ANCIENT SICILY
see many orchards, which can residential area, the views to brooding Mt
be gorgeously fragrant when ruins are occasionally Etna through the broken
in bloom. columns. Built in the 3rd
brightened by laundry
flapping on the rooftops century BC, the teatro
is the most dramatically
d Catania of vine-covered build- situated Greek theatre in
Catania is a true city of ings that appear to have the world and the second
sprouted organically
the volcano, much of it from the half-submerged largest in Sicily (after
constructed from the stage. Syracuse).
lava that poured down on The 9th-century capi-
it during a 1669 eruption. 5 p99 tal of Byzantine Sicily,
The baroque centre is Taormina also boasts
lava-black in colour, as The Drive » The 53km drive a well-preserved, if
to Taormina along the A18 is a
if a fine dusting of soot coast-hugging northern run, touristy, medieval town –
permanently covers its taking in more orange groves as and gorgeous views up
elegant buildings, most well as glimpses of the sparkling and down the Strait of
of which are the work of Ionian Sea. Messina.
Giovanni Vaccarini. The

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