Greeks from the coastal settlement of Naxos fled in 358BC to escape the wrath of Dionysius, fearful tyrant of Siracuse who constantly made war with the neighboring Greek colonies.
Anchored on the secure slopes of Mount Tauro, the town grew as an outpost along the ancient Via Valeria, principal trade route between Messina and Catania.
The Romans conquered Taormina in the Second Punic War in 212BC, constructing numerous civic and religious structures whose foundations are still visible today.
The Bizantines spread Christianity in Taormina in the 7th and 8th centuries AD but gave way to the Moors from North Africa in 902.
The Arabs were skilled engineers and greatly improved irrigation and cultivation practices in and around the town.
The Normans conquered Taormina in the 12th century and masterfully synthesized the diverse traditions they found on site, employing skillful Moorish craftsmen and architects in their projects.
In the following centuries Taormina suffered the fate of much of the South; it became a pawn in the conquests of greater powers, notably France and Spain.
A rediscovered destination for the fashionable Grand Tours of the Elite, Taormina enjoyed new prosperity in the 18th and 19th century.
Now the town welcomes visitors and locals alike to its beauty.