Page 182 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sicily

180  SICIL Y AREA B Y AREA

i Street-by-Street: Taormina

On a bluff above the Ionian Sea, at the foot of
Monte Tauro, Taormina is Sicily’s most famous
tourist resort. Immersed in luxuriant subtropical
vegetation, it was a favourite stop for those on the
Grand Tour and the preferred summer residence
of aristocrats and bankers, from Wilhelm II of
Germany to the Rothschilds. In its time the town
has been Siculan, Greek and Roman, but its
medieval layout gave it today’s look. Piazza IX Aprile
The second largest square in Taormina
is home to the churches of San Giorgio
and San Giuseppe, the Torre dell’Orologio
and the Wünderbar Café.

. Piazza del Duomo Villa Comunale
This is the heart of town, at the western end of Located on a cliff with a stunning view, this
Corso Umberto I. In the middle of the square is lovely garden was donated to the town by a
a Baroque fountain, facing the Cathedral of San rich Englishwoman, an aristocrat who had fallen
Nicolò and the Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall). in love with Taormina.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp204–5 and pp216–17

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