This ancient theater is the undisputed jewel in the heart of Taormina – a charming medieval hilltop town perched on a rocky promontory on the east coast of Sicily. The Greco-Roman Teatro Antico di Taormina was originally built in the 3rd Century BC and has hosted performances from a raft of luminaries from the likes of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides to name a few.
The construction of the theater involved excavating 100,000 cubic tonnes of rock from the mountain, which was subsequently enlarged by the Romans who added stately columns and an innovative roof structure.
The Greco-Roman theater was divided into several parts, encompassing the stage, audience seating hollowed out of the rock that varied according to social standing, arcades and stairs with egress into the underbelly of the theater.
Teatro Antico is the second largest theater in Sicily, behind Syracuse, but it is world-renowned. Anyone who has performed here cannot help but be bolstered by the glorious backdrop of the Gulf of Schisò and magnificent views afforded through the crumbling central opening across to Mount Etna, perpetually smoking in the distance.
Visitors today flock from all over the world to see Taomina’s famous landmark, which is now home to a vast array of must-see events, from plays and award ceremonies, fashion shows to ballets, with a capacity of 4500 seats, making it one of the most sought after locations by contemporary artists.
Taormina was an integral part of the Grand Tour in the 18th and 19th Centuries, with the ancient theater acting as a major draw card, heralding a splendid evening’s entertainment ahead.
Taormina has also long been a haunt for creative souls, such as Oscar Wilde, Alexander Dumas, D.H. Lawrence and Federico Felini, as well as iconic Hollywood legends Greta Garbo, Cary Grant and Elizabeth Taylor to name a few, drawn to the town’s ancient architecture and labyrinthine streets where cafes spill out onto the paved streets offering their patrons glorious views of the smouldering Mount Etna.
In the coves below, visitors can enjoy vast swathes of golden beaches and a narrow stretch of sand that connects to Isola Bella, a pretty little island and nature reserve, with its Azzurra grotto ideal for swimming and snorkeling. The waters here abound in sealife, offering divers the opportunity to witness the volcanic island's rich seam of marina fauna, including barracuda, octopus and stingrays.
If you are traveling to Sicily and want to incorporate Taormina and the Teatro Antico into your charter itinerary, please speak with a recommended yacht rental broker.
Alternatively, you can begin planning your next vacation by viewing the entire fleet of superyachts available for Italy yacht charters.
