Spanning up to 109 meters in diameter and originally accommodating around 10,000 spectators, the ancient theatre of Taormina is the second-largest of its kind in Sicily, trailing only the Greek Theatre of Syracuse. While a Hellenistic structure was first established here in the third century BC, the architecture visible today is predominantly Roman. The complex underwent an initial reconstruction during the Republic or under Augustus, before reaching its current monumental scale during an expansion in the second century AD, likely under Hadrian or Trajan.
What to see
Carved directly into the hillside rock, the structure rises to a height of about 20 meters. It features a curved cavea—making it one of the oldest theatres in Magna Graecia to abandon the older trapezoidal design—divided into nine sections by eight staircases. The upper rim is encircled by a double gallery of arches, supported by simple pillars on the exterior and marble columns on the inside. Traces of the third-century BC origins survive in the isodomic blocks incorporated into the stage building, three inscribed seats, and the remains of a small sanctuary on the belvedere above the cavea. The Roman stage wall, flanked by a basilica on either side, remains partially open in the center and retains several original marble columns. A late antique portico sits directly behind the stage area.
Visiting
The sweeping view of the Ionian Sea and Mount Etna that famously captivated Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in 1787 is actually a product of the theatre's ruin; in antiquity, a massive masonry stage wall completely blocked the scenery. During the third century AD, the 35-meter orchestra was converted into an arena to host venationes (fights between gladiators and wild beasts). The lowest seats were removed to build a vaulted corridor connecting to a central hypogeum, which housed stage machinery for special effects during combat. Following its abandonment after a Vandal siege, the stage building and the two turris scalae were repurposed in the Middle Ages as a private palace.
Our editors' tip
The site functions as an open-air venue with a current capacity of 4,500 seated spectators, expanding to 10,000 for major live music concerts. Since 1983, it has been the summer home of the Taormina Arte festival and the annual Taormina Film Fest. Beyond its roster of international musicians, the arena has hosted the David di Donatello awards and the main parade for the 2017 G7 summit. It is also a favored filming location, featuring in season two of HBO’s "The White Lotus" and Woody Allen’s 1995 film "Mighty Aphrodite", where F. Murray Abraham appears repeatedly onstage leading a Greek chorus alongside actors like Mira Sorvino and Helena Bonham Carter.