Castelmola is an interesting and picturesque settlement, where a certain rugged authenticity mixes with tourist-oriented craft shops. Signs lead you uphill to the thirteenth-century Castello, which is dramatically situated to command the hills and valleys. The little streets and alleys are worth exploring before you make your way back down to Taormina.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Accommodation by typein Taormina and Castelmola

Accommodation type

Hotels
Bed and Breakfasts
Self Catering Apartments
Town House Suites
Serviced Apartments
Farm Houses

Area of Taormina

Capo Taormina - Mazzarò
Porta Catania
Porta Messina


Taormina really seems to be born as a touristic resort since past times, when ancient people like the Sicels, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Saracens, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards chose it as their residential site thank to its favourable position, mild climate and magic atmosphere. Nowadays visitors can still find fine examples of Taormina’s golden times : the splendid Greek Thetre, the Roman "Naumachiae", the 13th century Cathedral of Saint Nicolò, the 14th century Palazzo Corvaja, the 16th century Palace of the Dukes of Saint.Stefano, the public gardens, the "Badia Vecchia" (Ancient Abbey) and many others.


The resort was first publicised by a trio of german artists : in 1787 J.W.Goethe discovered the beauties of Sicily and, in particular, of Taormina. He wrote the world known novel "Italian Journey", in which he describes the beauties of this land and its people and pronounced Taormina a "patch of paradise". The german painter Otto Geleng rose intereset in parisan art galleries exibiting his paintings about this magical landscapes. His contemporary, the young prussian photographer Wilhelm von Gloeden settled down in 1880 and made Taormina famous to all conservative european cultural clubs with his artistic portraits of nude sheperd boys with the volcano Etna on the backstage.


Since then many important celebrities visited Taormina, electing it as their "escapade place " from chaotic city life. Patrik Brydone D.H. Lawrence, Truman Capote, Alexander Dumas, Anatole France, Andrè Gide, Paul Klee, Guy de Maupassant, Luigi Pirandello, John Steinbeck, Gustav Klimt, Elio Vittorini, Oscar Wilde, Richard Wagner, Johannes Brahms spent happy moments here. In more recent times movie, theatre and music celebrities such as Ingmar Bergmann, Francis Ford Coppola, Leonard Bergman, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Federico Fellini, Cary Grant, Tyrone Power, Gregory Peck, Marcello Mastroianni, Elisabeth Taylor, Woody Allen have spent pleasant and memorable holidays in the Mediterranean pearl.

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