Corso Umberto I
Being part of the ancient Via Valeria, Corso Umberto I is the main street in Taormina. The beautiful pedestrian street with many shops and cafes is named after Umberto I di Savoia, King of Italy from 1878 to 1900, and stretches from the north to the south of the town from Porta Messina to Porta Catania. The gate was called Porta Ferdinandea (now Porta Messina) until 1860, after King Ferdinand I, and Porta del Tocco (“contact gate”, now Porta Catania) as adjacent to the homonymous square, where the town meetings were held, announced by the ringing of bells.
The center of the town and its nightlife is Piazza IX Aprile (9th April Square), from which you can admire a fascinating panorama. The Torre dell’Orologio (Clock Tower), situated on the square, was part of the walls that once delineated the border of the medieval village. Behind the Church of San Giuseppe, you can see the mountain, where the Castello Saraceno (Saracen Castle) and the church of the Madonna della Rocca rise.