Naumachie in Taormina

Much smaller  than the Greek Theatre , the Roman Odeon, or "small theatre" was built by the Romans when Taormina became a military colony in the year 21 B.C. under Caesar Augustus Octavian, the first Roman emperor. It was a stage for musical and literary presentations, which were performed only for the elite of the city. The Odeon was a covered theatre with a capacity of less than 200 people. lt was found accidentally on June 5th 1892 and until that moment no one had even suspected it existed…

The clock tower is situated half way down the Corso Umberto I next to IX April Square. Because of its location, the tower is also called Porta di Mezzo and it is the gateway into the medieval village and separates the Classical and Hellenistic parts of Taormina. Built in the twelfth century on ancient Greco-Roman foundations, the tower was destroyed by the invasion of the French troops of Louis XIV in 1676. It was last renovated in 1679 due to the strong wishes of the people of Taormina; it was…

The palace Badia Vecchia (Old Abbey) was built in the fourteenth century and was originally a tower in defense of the walls of Taormina. According to some scholars, the building is called Badia because it was an Abbey, where lived Mother Abbess Euphemia, regent since 1355 of the Kingdom of Sicily. The Badia Vecchia was restored in the fourteenth century, which led to the installation of numerous ornaments. For example you can notice the fine frame that divides the first from the second floor…