Piazza IX Aprile (April 9th Square), Taormina (must see)
April 9th Square comes with a story that is part history, part blunder. On April 9, 1860, the congregation at Taormina鈥檚 Cathedral was told that Giuseppe Garibaldi had landed at Marsala to liberate Sicily from Bourbon rule. The preacher鈥檚 announcement sparked jubilation, even though it was completely wrong-Garibaldi would not arrive for another month. The error was so memorable that when Italy鈥檚 unification was complete, the square was renamed after the date, preserving the echo of that mistaken cheer.
Before the renaming, it was known as Sant鈥橝gostino Square, after the small Church of Saint Augustine built in 1448. That church still stands, though today it holds books instead of worshippers, serving as the town鈥檚 public library. Across the square rises the Church of San Giuseppe, a Baroque confection from the 17th century with a staircase as theatrical as its fa莽ade. Completing the ensemble is the medieval Clock Tower, rebuilt in the 1600s after French troops leveled it, once marking the dividing line between Taormina鈥檚 Greco-Roman foundations and its medieval quarter.
The square unfolds directly off Umberto Street, halfway between the town鈥檚 two historic gates, and has always been a gathering place. Caf茅s and shops crowd its edges, with artists ready to sketch a visitor鈥檚 likeness for the price of a cappuccino. Yet the highlight is the terrace itself: its checkerboard paving leads to a panorama stretching from the Ionian Sea across the Bay of Naxos to Mount Etna鈥檚 volcanic peak. Few places capture Taormina鈥檚 mix of drama, history, and spectacle as vividly as this plaza.
Before the renaming, it was known as Sant鈥橝gostino Square, after the small Church of Saint Augustine built in 1448. That church still stands, though today it holds books instead of worshippers, serving as the town鈥檚 public library. Across the square rises the Church of San Giuseppe, a Baroque confection from the 17th century with a staircase as theatrical as its fa莽ade. Completing the ensemble is the medieval Clock Tower, rebuilt in the 1600s after French troops leveled it, once marking the dividing line between Taormina鈥檚 Greco-Roman foundations and its medieval quarter.
The square unfolds directly off Umberto Street, halfway between the town鈥檚 two historic gates, and has always been a gathering place. Caf茅s and shops crowd its edges, with artists ready to sketch a visitor鈥檚 likeness for the price of a cappuccino. Yet the highlight is the terrace itself: its checkerboard paving leads to a panorama stretching from the Ionian Sea across the Bay of Naxos to Mount Etna鈥檚 volcanic peak. Few places capture Taormina鈥檚 mix of drama, history, and spectacle as vividly as this plaza.
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Piazza IX Aprile (April 9th Square) on Map
Sight Name: Piazza IX Aprile (April 9th Square)
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