Torre dell鈥橭rologio (Clock Tower), Taormina
The Clock Tower of Taormina, standing on Umberto Street, is less a simple landmark and more a time capsule of the town鈥檚 turbulent past. Once called the Middle Tower, it was planted on the remains of Taormina鈥檚 earliest defenses from the 4th century BC. The tower itself first rose in the 7th century AD, was rebuilt in the 12th, and later folded into the third ring of medieval walls protecting the Borgo quarter by the 15th century. As one of three gateways, it drew a line between Taormina鈥檚 Greco-Roman foundations and its medieval growth.
The tower鈥檚 life has been anything but calm. Its darkest moment came in 1676, when the forces of Louis XIV battered Taormina during a siege and left the structure in ruins. Locals, unwilling to let the gap stand, rebuilt it just three years later with some extra demands. They insisted on adding a clock and a carillon of bells, ensuring the tower no longer just guarded the town but also told it when to gather, worship, or celebrate. From mayoral elections to the July 9th feast of Saint Pancras, the bells marked out civic rhythms as clearly as any decree.
Visually, the tower is an exercise in layered strength and ceremony. Its square stone base supports a midsection with four rounded arches that hold the bells, all topped by a neat conical dome with windows looking out over the town. Flanking April 9th Square and close to the church of Saint Joseph, the tower anchors Taormina鈥檚 old center. Crossing its arch today still feels like a small act of arrival-into the bustle of Corso Umberto, framed by history and with Mount Etna waiting in the distance.
The tower鈥檚 life has been anything but calm. Its darkest moment came in 1676, when the forces of Louis XIV battered Taormina during a siege and left the structure in ruins. Locals, unwilling to let the gap stand, rebuilt it just three years later with some extra demands. They insisted on adding a clock and a carillon of bells, ensuring the tower no longer just guarded the town but also told it when to gather, worship, or celebrate. From mayoral elections to the July 9th feast of Saint Pancras, the bells marked out civic rhythms as clearly as any decree.
Visually, the tower is an exercise in layered strength and ceremony. Its square stone base supports a midsection with four rounded arches that hold the bells, all topped by a neat conical dome with windows looking out over the town. Flanking April 9th Square and close to the church of Saint Joseph, the tower anchors Taormina鈥檚 old center. Crossing its arch today still feels like a small act of arrival-into the bustle of Corso Umberto, framed by history and with Mount Etna waiting in the distance.
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Torre dell鈥橭rologio (Clock Tower) on Map
Sight Name: Torre dell鈥橭rologio (Clock Tower)
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