Taormina, Sicily. MARCO SIMONI / ROBERTHARDING VIA AFP
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Series Solitude amidst the beauty of the world is the perfect asset to gain likes. What if we turned the lens around to discover the staging? Head to Taormina, the most Instagrammed Sicilian village in the world…
A village clinging to the cliff overlooking the Big Blue, picturesque alleys, flowering gardens, an ancient theater renowned for hosting exceptional operas, small romantic restaurants in the glow of tealight holders and the Etna volcano silhouetted against the backdrop of lemon trees and flowers… Nothing is too beautiful or too photogenic to perfect the photo on your smartphone. But beautiful Taormina, already highly prized for decades, is no longer a village of die-hard Sicilians, but the prey of invaders of all kinds.
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Once the bearer of a propaganda Dolce Vita, Taormina is a victim of its own success and of mass tourism that threatens to destroy what made it so special. The incredible charm of this medieval village perched between sky and sea has always been a magnet for vacationers and a popular holiday spot for the rich & famous. But today, it is not easy to follow in the footsteps of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton on the swing of an Italian garden or to find the soul of Monica Vitti in “L’Avventura”, a film that Michelangelo Antonioni shot in 1960.
Between selfie sticks, shopping bags, and melting ice cream staining the kids’ T-shirts, we slalom along Corso Umberto, the main artery, eyeing up beautiful girls in Pucci dresses and nearly tripping over a group of Americans who have just gotten off a giant cruise ship. What a pain.
We stop in front of the Corvaja Palace and the San Giuseppe Church, located next to the typically Baroque Clock Tower. A few meters away, a British couple immortalize themselves in front of the San Domenico Palace, a former 14th-century convent that has become world-famous since it was used as a filming location for season 2 of “The White Lotus,” the HBO series that won two Golden Globes. Despite its exorbitant prices (starting at 900 euros per room), the hotel is fully booked. And the series’ effect has radiated throughout the region.
“All this turns Taormina into an empty shell”
But given the ugly “concrete” of recent years, Taormina probably did not need this surplus of notoriety. Soaring real estate prices, water supply problems, residents forced to leave the city center, replaced by hotels, second homes and vacation rentals. Traditional shops have given way to fashion souvenir shops and a few fast food chains. “All this transforms Taormina into an empty shell, a showcase disconnected from its local roots,” regrets Sara, who serves wonderful arancini in a small trattoria just off Piazza S. Piancrazio.
In the shade of the small terrace covered in oleander, we enjoy our cannolis with a good espresso while blowing nostalgically. But let’s stop being killjoys. Like many other places, you have to experience Taormina out of season. From October, when the crowds evaporate, the village reconnects with part of its former soul. The shopkeepers lower their prices and the inhabitants take their time. To chat, feast, treat yourself to a good meal with the priest, or take you fishing in the superb Isola Bella reserve. A Dolce Vita that we no longer expected.
