Taormina

Visiting Taormina

Blue Guide says it's 738 steps to the fortress. Per Google Maps, from 240 meters at the road to 398 meters at the fortress.

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https://www.traveltaormina.com/en/churches/church-madonna-della-rocca-taormina.html

The church of Madonna della Rocca, so called because built on the rock, was founded by Abbot Francesco Raineri with the help of the Archbishop of Messina Geronimo Venero, around 1640.

The legend says that a young shepherd boy from the nearby village of Mola was feeding the flock on the mountain, when suddenly a storm forced him to take refuge with the sheep in the nearby cave. While lightning terrorized him and he was about to lose courage, he saw a beautiful lady dressed in blue who comforted him and reassured him that the sun would appeared soon. In fact, the storm ended soon. The parents were worried about the fate of their son, so they ran to go and look on the castle rocks, but they found him cheerfully next to the sheep, who had gathered around him. The boy told him what he had suffered, and what he had seen in the cave. A lot of people wanted to see the place and they noticed that on the rock, right where the shepherd boy saw the lady dressed in blue, was impressed the figure of the Madonna, which they called Madonna della Rocca. Warned the religious authorities of Taormina, the bishop went there to see the prodigy and in that place was built a church, which has for walls and roof the stone of the cave. Next to the Sanctuary of S. Maria della Rocca, there was a small monastery (of the orderof the Basilian), now abandoned, in which religious retreated to pray and do penance as a hermit.

Next to the Sanctuary of S. Maria della Rocca, there was a small monastery (of the orderof the Basilian), now abandoned, in which religious retreated to pray and do penance as a hermit. Behind the church there is a small hermitage, abandoned from a lot of years and disused,while on the southeast side there is an open space that was the kitchen garden of the hermits, and is located on the edge of the cliff on which stands the church.

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https://www.castles.nl/taormina-castle

The construction date of Taormina Castle is unknown. Most likely, it was the site of the ancient acropolis of the Greek town of Taormina. The Romans and later the Byzantines probably strengthened the site.

The town fell to the Muslims in 902 AD, after a two-year siege. They reconstructed the castle into its current form, with a trapezoid plan adapted to the shape of the rock and crenelated walls.

In 1078, the Norman Count Roger I of Sicily, captured Taormina from the Muslims. By 1134, the castle was used by the San Salvatore la Placa monastery.

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https://www.thatstaormina.com/item/taormina-castle/

At an elevation of 397 meters.

Thanks to this elevated position, it is also called the Castle of the Four Panoramas, as from within its walls you can enjoy a breathtaking 360-degree view: from the Ionian coast stretching north to the Strait of Messina and south to the valley of the Alcantara River and the slopes of Mount Etna.

The fortress has a trapezoidal shape and features a tower that once served as a lookout post. The outer walls have been preserved to a height of over four meters, while the internal structures have mostly collapsed. Inside, visitors can still find a cistern used for collecting rainwater, an underground corridor for storing provisions and weapons, a fan-shaped staircase leading to the keep, and two fascinating caves to explore.