Taormina & Castelmola

Ancient Tauromenion was  founded by colonists from Naxos in the IV century B.C. During the greek era the city was prosperous and played an important role during the war against the Mamertines. The city continued to form a part of the kingdom of Syracuse until the death of Hieron and it only passed under the government of Rome when the whole island of Sicily was reduced to a Roman province. After the fall of the Roman Empire, due to its strategic position, it was one of the last places retained by Byzantines who were ousted by the Fatimids in 962, after a siege of 30 weeks. Muslim rule of the town lasted until 1078, when it was captured by the Norman count Roger I of Sicily who re-christianized it again. 
After the fall of the Normans and of their German heirs, the Hohenstaufen, Taormina followed the history of Sicily under the Angevins and then the Crown of Aragon. As a matter of fact, King Martin II was elected here by the Sicilian Parliament  in 1410. Taormina remained under the Spanish rule until the arrival of the Borbouns dinasty which lasted until 1860. With the arrival of Garibaldi in Sicily, Taormina, like the rest of the island, underwent a forced annexation to a new unitary State: Italy.
In the 18th century, when Italy was a mandatory stop in the so called Grand Tour, Taormina was included in its itinerary because of the great Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman and Spanish monuments the city had to offer. 
During the early 20th century the town became a colony of expatriate artists, writers and intellectuals. During the 50's Taormina became one of the most important tourist destinations in the world where important celebrities have spent pleasant and memorable holidays.