Palazzo Badia Vecchia, which translated from Italian means "the old Abbey", is an ancient building in the Gothic style, built in Taormina in the 14th century. In 1960 it was purchased by the municipality for 12 million pounds. After that, there were carried out restoration work, but soon the building was again abandoned and left to the mercy of vandals.

How and Palazzo Duca di San Stefano, Badia Vecchia is very similar to the fortress, which is not surprising – both buildings were erected as bastions along the walls designed to protect the Northern part of Taormina. A particularly severe view of the Palazzo gives parapet wall with battlements at the top. Armando dill, architect from Naples, says that the name Badia Vecchia was given to the structure after it for some time lived abbess Euphemia, the former in the mid-14th century by the Regent, his younger brother Frederick, king of the two Sicilies. However, this assumption remains only a theory, though very believable.

In fact, the Badia Vecchia was once a monastery. Proof of this are the sacred drawings discovered in the well to collect rainwater. Most likely, the drawings were hidden there to save them from the many invasions of foreigners, which was subjected to Taormina during its long history. In addition, it is believed that all the niches inside were used for storing icons, rather than just storage.

Gothic architecture Badia Vecchia is very similar to the architecture of the Palazzo Duca di San Stefano, as both the Palazzo was built in the same era in the 14th century. Both buildings are also visible traces of Arab and Norman influence. Badia Vecchia consists of three rooms of equal size. The frieze of local volcanic lava and white Syracuse stone adorns the building, separating the first and second floors. It's the same as the one next to the other can see three magnificent arched Windows – from a distance they appear as a single box with six doors. Arches adorning the side Windows have one the round window of the socket, and in the Central vault. On top of the facade Badia Vecchia decorated with forked battlements, and that makes the building look like a fortress.