The first Greek colonies in Sicily Naxos

Looking out from one of the many sights that characterize the city of Taormina, you'll definitely find unique scenery as many writers have described. One of the many things that make it special is undoubtedly the bay of Giardini Naxos, and it is this town that today I want to speak to you about. This small strip of land that runs along the Ionian Sea with its small port forms this pretty bay, its shoulders green mountains that descend down to the sea. At night this small fishing village seen from Taormina with its warm, flickering lights that are reflected in the water creates a unique sight for all of us, making us stand open-mouthed in front of such splendor.

In the placement of Giardini-Naxos, near Cape Schisò, in 734 BC settlers founded one of the first Greek colonies in Sicily. The new colony was given the name of Naxos as the homonymous island in the Aegean Sea. Although it remained a center of modest dimensions, it retained its symbolic value, since an altar was erected in honor of Apollo Archegetes, and was the starting point of the Greek ambassadors to return to the motherland.

During the Peloponnesian war Naxos sided with Athens, but when in 413 BC a military Athenian expedition to Sicily failed, the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius the Elder razed the town and built on the height above it Tauromenion (Taormina). The land was donated to the Siculi and the inhabitants were sold as slaves.

Among the things to do in Giardini Naxos apart along the sea there is the Schisò Castle that overlooks the Giardini Naxos Bay, built at the turn of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Constructed in its current form on a rocky spur formed by a lava flow of prehistoric age, the Schisò name comes from the Arabic words, Al Qusus, which means breast or chest and identifies the two volcanoes on which rest the foundations. The formations are visible from the front elevation. Among other things we have to see is the Naxos Archaeological Park.

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The Baroque Siculo - Noto

The Noto we see today was founded only after the earthquake of 1693, while the old Noto was 8Km further north on Mount Alveria, according to the historian Diodoro Siculo. "Neeton" was founded in 448 AC by Ducezio, who was a man endowed with great charisma and who managed to conquer the soul of the Siculans by establishing a colony of Siculi coming from Nea. During this time he was opposed to the Greeks while with the advent of the Romans came up with them getting his own senate. Towards the end of the Roman period the Villa Romana del Tellaro was built, which we still witness today. By the arrival of the Byzantines the first churches also arrived. While the Arabs, having seen its strategic importance, fortified it, organized the agriculture and started silk production. With the occupation of Grand Conte Ruggero d'Altavilla, the first Christian churches were built, while during the period of Count Isinbardo Morengia, the Cistercian monastery of Santa Maria dell'Arco was erected. Duke Pietro d'Aragona, the King's brother, erected in 1431 the Maestro Tower of the Castle of Noto Antica. In 1693 a devastating earthquake destroyed the city and they decided to rebuild it in another place. Characters from all over Europe participated. Beyond the urban plan, it is worth noting that the present city is the result of the work of many architects (Rosario Gagliardi, Paolo Labisi, Vincenzo Sinatra, Antonio Mazza), capimasters and stonecutters, who throughout the eighteenth century, realized this exceptional urban environment.

Today's Noto is defined as the capital of Baroque, and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2002.

But Noto is also famous for its wines, such as Muscato di Noto Doc, Noto rosso Doc, or Nero D'avola, also Doc. These wines are even better when paired with the products of the land that this part of Sicily offers. If you find yourself passing through these parts, taste the sweet black wine, Dolce Nero. Although not a Doc, it is worth tasting. It is a dessert wine produced with Nero D’Avola grapes dried in the sun, the same technique used to produce Passito. Visit the restaurant bar, Anche gli Angeli, which was built under a church, here you will surely find it.

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Greek and Roman Mythology Agrigento

One of the most important archaeological sites of the island is the Valley of the Temples. Only 4 hours from Taormina, the archaeological park, with its 1300 hectares, is the largest in the world and is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples were part of the ancient polis of Akragas, "the most beautiful city of mortals" said the writer Pindar. It was founded by people from the island of Rhodes and the Cretans. It reached its zenith in the fifth century BC. The Valley of the Temples is characterized by the remains of ten Doric temples, three sanctuaries, a large concentration of the necropolis, and a museum. One of the things that makes it special is the red stone the temples are made of. At sunset this red stone appears to be on fire, providing maximum beauty to this place.

This is the birthplace of Luigi Pirandello, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. You can visit his house, which is now a museum. For those who like to enjoy a swim in the sea continue along the coast after Porto Empedocle where you will find The Turkish Steps, a stretch of coast where there is a beautiful white rock wall that has a wavy and irregular shape made of a sedimentary rock of limestone and clay. The name has Turkish origins stemming from the piracy raids of that time.

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