Where is Taormina located?
Taormina is located on the eastern coast of Sicily and is a well-known center of cultural and historical heritage in Italy. The town is situated on the terrace of Mount Tauro, between Messina and Catania. From the town itself, there is a breathtaking view of the majestic Mount Etna volcano.
Taormina has a population of only 11,000 people, but the influx of tourists increases the number of people at the resort by tens or even hundreds of times!
History of Taormina
According to legend, Taormina was founded by Greek sailors who were cast ashore by a storm near Mount Monte-Tauro. After returning home, they told their fellow countrymen about this wonderful place, and by 735 BC the first Greek settlers arrived here.
Historical sources from antiquity state that the city was originally called Tauromenion. In 394 BC, it was settled by the Sicels, sent here by Dionysius the Elder. Over time, the city changed hands several times: it was first ruled by Andromachus, then — ten years later — by Timoleon, and later came under the tyranny of Tyndarion. In 210 BC, it was surrendered to the Romans.
In 135 BC, the First Sicilian Slave Revolt broke out here. It was suppressed by Publius Rupilius, and its instigators were defeated and killed.
In ancient times, the city did not experience peaceful and tranquil development. It suffered greatly during the war between Octavian and Pompey and at the end of the 1st century, it converted to Christianity. The city endured many hardships and persecutions in order to maintain its Christian faith and eventually surrendered.
In 902 and 906, the city was plundered by invaders and received the Arabic name Muizia. The Arabs rebuilt the southern part of the resort and later renamed the city after the caliph - Almoetia. After a century, the city was returned to the Christian church by the Normans: they besieged it and restored its original name.
The long-suffering resort was incredibly popular with famous personalities. It was praised by Goethe, praised by Maupassant, mentioned by Dali, Wagner and Dumas.
