Taormina,
our last visiting place in Sicily was a famed resort town in Roman times. It is
perched 210 metres above the sea which boasts a 3rd century BC Greek
theatre, a medieval quarter, castle ruins and many modern shops and
restaurants.
On our
way to Taorima we passed through narrow roads and modern-day white houses,
perched high above the ocean. We entered the ancient part of the Taorima through
an archway in the massive walls that encircled the city. We climbed several
rows of steps and there it was: the ancient Greco-Roman Theatre.
We were
‘blown away’ by our first sight of the Greek theatre which is still used for concerts
and classical productions today. This ancient theatre has been perfectly conserved
and is still in the process of further restorations. Built by the Greeks in the
3rd century BC, the Romans made some alterations during their
occupation of the city and these were mainly by enhancing the entrance gallery
chambers to the theatre and extending the stage area.
There is seating for several thousand people and whilst a modern stage has been erected over the original stage area (it is far too small and dangerous for modern productions of shows today) the foundation ruins are visible and the original columns which stand as a backdrop to the stage, are a very fitting reminder of the past glories of ancient Greek and Roman plays and performances which took place here.
The
views through the arched column behind the column backdrop are stunning.
Sitting in the stone terraced seating we could see the ocean and beaches along
the coast and villages on the peninsula in the distance.
Standing
at the top of the theatre we were able to walk around the outer pathway of the
ruins by walking through exit archways built so long ago for safe exit and
entrance to the crowds that once filled the arena. There are even, passageway
corridors under the seating just like we have in our footie stadiums today but
these were built long before cranes, steel framework and cement reinforcements
were invented.
We spent
over an hour exploring Taormina’s Theatre and the other ruins that lie adjacent
to it. We are so glad that we took this long day tour because there is so much
about past generations that we have yet to learn about. One thing is for sure!
Civilizations come and do amazing things. They rise to power, they conquer
other nations but then they’re gone, leaving archaeological evidence and some
knowledge to pass on to future generations. History does repeat itself but do
we learn from it? As Solomon says, “There is nothing new under the sun. “ We
need to glory in the creator not the created. God is eternal. Created things are
marvelled at, appreciated, valued, enjoyed but they do not last forever. 
It was
nearly 3pm so we stopped for lunch in a little Sicilian restaurant overlooking
the rocky coastline and the sea. We had a real Sicilian Pizza and a prosciutto
and cheese on toast and enjoyed relaxing before heading home along the coastal
highways and freeways- a much faster trip than the mountain trails we traversed
earlier in the day. We were tired but ever so much more aware and informed of a
little slice of Sicilian life; both past and present.