Taormina's chief delight is wandering this pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare, lined with stylish boutiques and Renaissance palaces. Midway down, pause to revel in stunning panoramic views of Mt Etna and the coast from Piazza IX Aprile and visit the charming rococo Chiesa San Giuseppe . Continue west through Torre dell'Orologio , the 12th-century clock tower, into Piazza del Duomo , home to an ornate baroque fountain (1635) that sports Taormina's symbol, a two-legged centaur with the bust of an angel.
You're now in the Borgo Medievale, the oldest quarter of town. On the eastern side of Piazza del Duomo is the 13th-century cathedral . It survived much of the Renaissance-style remodelling undertaken throughout the town by the Spanish aristocracy in the 15th century. The Renaissance influence is better illustrated in various palaces along the Corso, including Palazzo Duca di Santo Stefano with its Norman-Gothic windows, Palazzo Corvaja (the tourist office) and Palazzo Ciampoli (now the Hotel El Jebel).
