San Domenico Palace Hotel

Taormina

Perched on Mount Tauro in northeastern Sicily, the city of Taormina is an incredible natural terrace looking down onto the Mediterranean Sea. When the sky is perfectly clear, one can even see nearby Calabria. The city is especially rich in culture as a result of the different civilizations which occupied it and which left behind a host of archaeological treasures. This is why people have been coming here for centuries to admire the numerous sites, and especially the city’s most famous monument, its Greek theatre. Located near the city center, it’s the second largest theatre in Sicily, after Syracuse, in addition to possessing a magnificent view of the sea and of Etna just opposite. Dug out of the rock by the Greeks, it was gradually enlarged by the Romans, using bricks. Today, although somewhat damaged by the weather, it still very well conserved and regularly hosts a number of cultural events including concerts. The charm of Taormina lies in its old city and its main street, the Corso Umberto I, which crosses the city from the Porta Messina to the Porta Catania. Other sites worth discovering include the Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele which was once the Roman Forum, the beautiful Odeon, a small Greek theatre dating back to the Roman Empire, as well as numerous palaces and churches reflecting the charm of the 15^th and 17^th centuries.

Luxury, calm and sensuality

Ideally located in the center of Taormina, the San Domenico Palace Hotel is designed to charm its guests. Situated within the walls of a 15^th century Dominican monastery, this five-star hotel owes its existence to an aristocrat from the neighboring village of Catania, Giovanni Rosso, who came here in the late 18^th century. Today, the hotel is known and renowned throughout the world.

The peaceful ambience of this building steeped in history cannot go unnoticed. Luxury and comfort blend in perfectly with the simple elegance of the site. Special attention was paid to the room decorations to assure guests of maximum comfort in a filtered and peaceful atmosphere. Some rooms have terraces with a magnificent view of the flamboyant colors of the hotel’s garden and of Taormina Bay.

The accent is also on service and especially on dining. Several bars and restaurants offer guests a traditional, refined and quality cuisine. But the icing on the cake is the hotel’s gastronomic restaurant, the Principe Cerami, which has already earned a star in the prestigious Michelin Guide, and which also offers a truly romantic view of the bay. Last but not least, the beauty center offers massages and other health treatments in order to rejuvenate both the body and the mind.

Celebrated and frequented by the rich and famous in the 19^th century, Taormina recovered its past glory, but in a more democratic fashion in the late 1980s thanks to Luc Besson’s film, “Le Grand Bleu” which makes numerous references to the city and where several scenes were filmed.