Palazzo Corvaja (Corvaja Palace), Taormina
Corvaja Palace, standing in Abbey Square near Umberto Street and the Church of Saint Catherine, wears its history on its stone walls. The building began life in the 10th century, when Arab rulers erected a square defensive tower that still anchors the structure today. The Normans later added their touch in the 11th century, softening the fortress into a residence that balanced power with prestige. By the 13th and 14th centuries, Catalan Gothic windows and Norman halls joined the mix, layering styles in a way that turned the palace into an architectural sampler of Sicily鈥檚 past.
The Corvaja family gave the building its name in the 17th century, owning it for nearly three centuries until 1945. Their legacy is written into the fa莽ades and the interiors: pointed arches, carved mullioned windows, and biblical relief panels cut from Siracusa stone showing the Creation of Eve, Original Sin, and the Expulsion from Paradise. The Parliamentary Hall adds another chapter, recalling the early 15th century when the Sicilian Parliament convened here beneath frescoes of Daniel in the Lions鈥� Den and The Flight into Egypt.
By the mid-20th century the palace was falling apart, until architect Armando Dillon鈥檚 restoration in 1948 returned it to dignity. Today, it pulls double duty as Taormina鈥檚 Museum of Folk Art and Traditions-complete with puppets, crafts, and everyday artifacts-and as the town鈥檚 tourist office. For visitors, Corvaja Palace is both a historical mosaic and a practical stop, where centuries of politics, artistry, and family power come together under one roof.
The Corvaja family gave the building its name in the 17th century, owning it for nearly three centuries until 1945. Their legacy is written into the fa莽ades and the interiors: pointed arches, carved mullioned windows, and biblical relief panels cut from Siracusa stone showing the Creation of Eve, Original Sin, and the Expulsion from Paradise. The Parliamentary Hall adds another chapter, recalling the early 15th century when the Sicilian Parliament convened here beneath frescoes of Daniel in the Lions鈥� Den and The Flight into Egypt.
By the mid-20th century the palace was falling apart, until architect Armando Dillon鈥檚 restoration in 1948 returned it to dignity. Today, it pulls double duty as Taormina鈥檚 Museum of Folk Art and Traditions-complete with puppets, crafts, and everyday artifacts-and as the town鈥檚 tourist office. For visitors, Corvaja Palace is both a historical mosaic and a practical stop, where centuries of politics, artistry, and family power come together under one roof.
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Palazzo Corvaja (Corvaja Palace) on Map
Sight Name: Palazzo Corvaja (Corvaja Palace)
Sight Location: Taormina, Italy (See walking tours in Taormina)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Taormina, Italy (See walking tours in Taormina)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Taormina, Italy
Create Your Own Walk in Taormina
Creating your own self-guided walk in Taormina is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Taormina Introduction Walking Tour
In 396 BC, the notorious tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse instructed his commander Andromachus to establish a settlement at the foot of Mount Etna. This came after Dionysius had destroyed the ancient Greek city of Naxos, leaving its displaced inhabitants in need of a new home. The settlement's original name, Tauromenion, meaning 鈥渄welling on the Taurus,鈥� referred to the nearby mountain... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles