Mazzeo Beach in Taormina

Piazza IX Aprile is located right in the center of Corso Umberto. The square is known for the breathtaking view of the azure Ionian Sea and of the Mount Etna. Lined with pricey cafés and brimming with visitors and caricature artists, it's the best place to sit back with a cappuccino and enjoy the relaxed resorty ambience of Taormina. The square was named after the 9th of April, 1860, when mass in the Taormina cathedral down the street was interrupted to announce that Garibaldi had landed at ...

The street follows the route of the ancient Consolare Valeria, the main thoroughfare in the original Greco-Roman settlements. This pedestrian steet provides a lively promenade for tourists and is lined with elegant shops and restaurants. Placed half-way between Taormina’s two main gates, is Piazza IX Aprile, the town’s main square. Located in the south side of the piazza is the Clock Tower or Porta di Mezzo which forms the passageway leading from the Greek-Roman part to the Medieval part....

Palazzo Corvaja is located in Piazza Badia, at the beginning of Corso Umberto, at right angles to the church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The first part of this medieval palace was built in the 10th century, when Arabs conquered the city from Byzantine Imperium. It was a cube-shaped tower that was used for defending the town.  The tower was extended in the 13rd and 14th century assuming the current characteristic mix of styles: Arabic (the tower), Norman (the fifteenth-century hall wher...