Naumachie in Taormina

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 where…

The Church of Varò (Chiesa del Varò) is located at the end of a stairway that departs from Corso Umberto I, just after the Clock Tower. The church was built by Cav. Blasio Corvaja in the late eighteenth century, and the work was finished by his brother Sigismondo at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Most probably the building was built on a pre-existing built by the Romano family. A demonstration of this hypothesis in the church are located the tomb-mausoleum of Giovanni Romano Denti, wh…

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…