The ancient theatre of Taormina was built by the ancient Greeks in about the 3rd century B. C. It is the second largest in Sicily after the theatre in Syracuse – its diameter is 120 meters! In addition, it is one of the best preserved ancient ruins on the island.

According to the legend, for the erection of the theatre, the builders had to bulldoze a mountain, carrying approximately 100 thousand cubic meters of limestone. The theater itself was built of brick. Seats, which can accommodate up to 10 thousand people, facing South-East towards the Ionian sea. Unfortunately, the majority of seats have not survived to our days. However, you can still see the wall that surrounded cavey theatre and the proscenium to the back wall of the main stage and service extensions. From decorations were only fragments, which, however, suggests that the theatre was decorated with Corinthian columns and rich ornamentation. Have survived and some parts of nearby temple which was later converted into the Church of San Pancrazio.

In the 1st century BC, when the power in Sicily was in the hands of the Romans, the theatre was rebuilt and reequipped for the favorite sights of the inhabitants of the Roman Empire – bloody gladiatorial combat. Great acoustics, once allowed to hear the voices of the actors even in the last rows, now intensified several times the cries of the defeated gladiators and excited spectators.

Only in the 19th century the ancient Greek theatre, it was decided to restore it – by the way, was attended by Russian architects and Messmacher Kossov, who performed the facades. Today, this popular tourist attraction is also a symbol of Taormina. It regularly hosts various cultural and artistic events, in particular international festival of arts "Taormina arte".