Rising 250 meters above the eastern coastline of Sicily, Taormina is one
of the island's most charming and frequently visited sites.Rising 250 meters above the eastern coastline of Sicily, Taormina is one
of the island's most charming and frequently visited sites.
This
is its famous Greek theater looking out over Mt. Etna on a hazy day.
"The Greek theater dates from the 3C BCE but was remodeled by the Romans who used it as an arena for their contests."
Taormina was the first Greek theater I ever visited. A sense of perfect symmetry and grace overcame me. Sitting in its center and looking down at the stage floor some twenty-five meters away, I imagined the space filled with theater-goers from a time so far removed in years yet so close in aesthetic appreciation. I couldn't help but wonder what the people from 300 BCE sitting next to me would be like if we were to watch a play together. I wondered what archetypal-inspired images would emerge into their minds while engaged in the drama unfolding before us.
When the first drizzle began to fall from the sky and offer relief from the sweltering heat of southern Italy in June, I took it as a positive omen and proceeded to walk around the ruins catching glimpses of the coast, Mt. Etna and the theater from different angles.