Taormina is the undoubted jewel in the crown thatis the Ionian coast and has been enchanting visitors for centuries. It is themost charming hill town, high above two spectacular bays and there are a numberof notable monuments. Finest of these is undoubtedly the Greek theatre, socalled because it was hollowed out of the natural hillside by the Greeks, thoughwhat you will see owes more to the Romans, who substantially remodelled it inthe first century AD. You will also see the Roman ‘Naumachia’, the remains of acistern and gymnasium. More unmissable sights include the 10thcentury Palazzo Corvaja, the 13th century Cathedral of Saint Nicoloand the 16th century Palace of the Dukes of Saint Stefano. After allthis, you will have a chance to relax in the beautiful gardens of the ‘BadiaVecchia’ (the old Abbey). A drive of roughly an hour will bring you to Catania,the second largest city in Sicily and home to its first university, establishedin 1434. Having suffered from a massive eruption of Mount Etna in 1669,followed by an earthquake in 1693, Catania was largely rebuilt during theBaroque era and has some stunning buildings to show for it. The Cathedral hasretained some medieval apses but was largely remodelled after the earthquake.From here, visit the ‘Elephant Fountain’, symbol of the city, it consists of alava elephant supporting an Egyptian obelisk on its back. You will also get thechance to see the Ursino Castle, the Convent of St Maria and the thermal baths.
