Giardini Naxos ... My Town

Sixteen years ago this year we visited Sicily for the first time and we were immediately seduced by the islands beauty, culture, food and its people, so much so that after only three visits we decided to buy a home there.

On one of our first trips we met our friend Gianfranco who was at that time working in one of Taormina's most famous bars. One evening we mentioned to him about buying a home in Sicily and he suggested looking at possibilities in Giardini Naxos, the seaside town located below Taormina in the Bay of Naxos, and we fell in love with its charm. It is a fully fledged town with a port and long stretches of beach, lined with hotels, bars and restaurants. Gianfranco soon become known as our "adopted Sicilian big brother" and he helped us find our home in Giardini Naxos.

The rest as they say is history ...

Giardini Naxos has a pretty postcard setting and is located five kilometres south of Taormina. The town has gone from being a sleepy fishing village into a popular resort, with thanks to its spectacular location in a sweeping bay overlooked by Mount Etna.

It is perfectly located to visit Taormina easily by bus, car or even walking and we can drive to the top of Mount Etna within 45 minutes. It is also perfectly located to reach other beautiful towns and destinations on the eastern side of Sicily and we also have the stunning Alcantara Valley close by.

Giardini Naxos is a low key resort and a very good choice if you want to stay next to beautiful beaches but not in the centre of Taormina which can sometimes be a bit crowded and expensive. There are very good restaurants as well.

The town is most famous in Sicily for being the first Greek colony on the island.

Capo Taormina to the north and Capo Schisò to the south are natural borders embracing the spectacular Bay of Naxos. In 734 BC Teocle the Chalcidian was the first Greek who landed at Schisò where now stands the marina. Greek mythology tells that Poseidon, God of the sea, angry at having received as sacrifice an undercooked liver "shook the waves and hit the fragile wood", causing Teocle's ship to sink and all the sailors to drown. Only Teocle survived clinging to a piece of wreckage, he was driven by the waves and landed on the beach. Enchanted by the beauty of the area he saw he decided to stay. Good choice !!!!

After that the first Greek settlers arrived from the harmonious Greek island of Naxos in the Aegean Sea. In this beautiful Litus (from Latin meaning land touched by the sea), among myths and legends, Giardini Naxos was born. Giardini meaning gardens and then taking the name of the place where the first settlers originated. The word Giardini was added much later though.

As the first Greek colony on Sicily and the site of the altar of Apollo Archegetes, protector of all Greek settlements on the island, ancient Naxos should not be missed. Although the city was quickly surpassed by other colonies in wealth and power, it retained religious importance until it was destroyed by Dionysus the tyrant from Syracuse in 403BC. Its remaining inhabitants settled in nearby Taormina. The excavations of the ancient ruins can be seen on the headland of Capo Schisò.

There is a legend of how the Bay of Naxos was formed ...

The great god Zeus awakened one morning tired, annoyed and nervous. He had spent a night with one of his many lovers meaning that once again he had betrayed his wife Hera. His sense of guilt oppressed him but his wife knew of all his constant betrayals and always forgave him. At heart Zeus loved Hera and wanted to repent his betrayal so he took the largest diamond from his crown and dropped it into the sea. Suddenly the sea withdrew and an island appeared, Sicily. He called his brothers Poseidon and Vulcan and ordered the first to form a beautiful creek which Homer later named the "Bay of Gods" and the other to slide a river of lava to lock the bay. Vulcano went into the bowels of the mountains in the Alcantara Valley and thereafter rose the volcano of Moio Alcantara whose lava flowed to the sea and formed the headland where Teocle washed up onto in 734BC.

But more about ancient Naxos another time ...

From 1544 several military buildings were constructed to protect Capo Schisò from Barbary pirates, led by the Turkish corsair Barbarossa Kheir-ed-Din, who continued to attack and plunder coastal villages. These were Castello Schisò, which was rebuilt from an earlier 13th century castle, the Schisò fort and the Vignazza Tower. The latter is a quadrangular watchtower which served to patrol the coast south of Schisò, if any pirate boats were sighted the observer inside the tower could alert the villagers and neighbouring watchtowers by sending out smoke signals. Vignazza Tower is located in the Recanati area of Giardini Naxos.

Castello Schisò, which overlooks the bay, was once a very important building. Al Idrisi, King Roger II of Sicily's geographer, in 1154 described Giardini Naxos, known in those times simply as Schisò derived from the arabic word Al Qusus which means bust or chest, as an active trade port which exported the products of the hinterland and operated as a stopover to and from Messina. The castle was a military establishment mediated to control the Bay of Naxos, which at that time was the principal landing point for the Taormina area.The first building dates back to the late middle ages. In the 16th century following attacks by pirates the castle was rebuilt and a military observation tower was added. Part of the construction of the castle was made from lava stone, a residential quarter is visible at the front. Also incorporated within the castle was a room for the processing of sugar cane which was a lucrative activity in 16th century Sicily. Sugar cane was brought to the island by the Arabs. The third and last building phase dates to the end of the 19th century when the facade that leads to the road was modified with a series of balconies in accordance with the style of the houses from that era. The first acknowledged owner was Don Cesare Statella in 1582, a nobleman from Catania. Later the property went to the De Spuches family, Marquis of Schisò and Gaggi, and in the 19th century to Giovanni Conti, a rich middle class man from Messina. After that it belonged to the Lombardo Aloco family and at the beginning of the 20th century it passed to the Paladino family who are still the owners today. There is not much to been seen there these days but plans continue to bring the castle back to its former glory.

Now to modern times ...

Prior to the early 1970's Giardini Naxos was a quiet fishing village. Now it is a tourist destination and a low key seaside resort. Its attractions include beaches, water sport activities, the panoramic view of the bay, Mount Etna and the surrounding hills and it has its own harbour. It attracts foreign visitors and Italians alike, many of whom own summer residences. The town has everything from sunbathing and waterfront dining to designer shopping.

Giardini Naxos has four main areas. The old town where you will find treasure trove antique shops and designer boutiques, and the port area which is the place to go for lazy seaside lunches. Head along the promenade for the best nightlife and open air discos and check out the Recanati area for a lively atmosphere.

Most of what Giardini Naxos has to offer can be seen by taking a walk along the seafront road. You can relax on the sandy beaches where you can sunbath on free parts of the beach or go to the Lidos. You can book a boat trip most of which set off several times a day with delightful tours along the Taormina coastline to Isola Bella and Grotto Azzurra (the blue cave) with time allowed for a dip in the sparkling sea to discover what lies beneath. Giardini boasts many great restaurants that overlook the sea. It is also the place to be for water sports and diving enthusiasts.

There are several seafront lidos. These gated areas are set back from the shoreline with sun loungers, umbrellas and showers along with cafés serving pizza, pasta and chips. Some have play areas for children. They usually cost around 5 or 6 Euro but you will have use of the complex all day.

The sea in the bay is usually clear and warm and can sometimes be so right into November, also the sea is not too salty.

Giardini Naxos has for years now been one of the most important capitals of Sicily's tourism and it is thought that together with its sister city Taormina that they monopolize 50% of the international tourist flow that reaches the island. Giardini Naxos boasts around fifty hotels of various ratings and also has some wonderfully welcoming bed and breakfasts.

Towards the south of town you will find Recanati which has its own stretch of pebbly beach. Here you will find the larger touristy hotels and a scattering of great restaurants and bars.

Most of the action in Giardini Naxos is centred on the long sea front parade that is filled with hotels, bars, pizzerias and souvenir shops. The one way long coastal road, the Lungomare, turns into Via Tysandros which takes you to Old Naxos that has typical fishermen's houses with a tiny port.

Via Tysandros was named after a young Greek boy. Legend says that he was born near the naval arsenal and was the son of an axe maker. Tysandros used to run through the colony and eventually his talent for running was discovered and he trained for years to become an athlete. Eventually he was chosen to run at the Olympics at Olimpia in Greece and he came back a winner. The hero of ancient Naxos.

As you walk along Via Tysandros you will spot articles that have been recovered from the sea around the Bay of Naxos, in particular Roman columns. You will also see around town several bronze statues including that of Theocles, the founder of Naxos and Poseidon, god of the sea. These are the creations of local artist and sculptor Turi Azzolina, you will see many of his works of art in both Giardini Naxos, Taormina and beyond in Sicily.

Another statue that you will see in the town is "La Sirena" a mermaid that sits over a fountain which was placed on the seafront in 1962 and is a replica of the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen which was inspired by the fairy tale written by Danish author Han Christian Anderson.

But the most iconic statue can be found in the port area near the archaeological park, the statue of the goddess Nike who overlooks the Ionian Sea and is the protector of our town. In Greek mythology Nike was the goddess of strength, speed and victory. Also known as the winged goddess she is often depicted wearing wings. Our "La Nike" statue is inspired by the Nike of Samothrace in Greece which is preserved in the Louvre Museum in Paris. It was created by the sculptor C.Mendola and was erected to commemorate the twinning between Giardini Naxos and Calcide Eubea in Greece, the place where Teocles first arrived from. Underneath the statue there is a inscription by Salvatore Quasimodo, a Sicilian poet and novelist.

Also located in the port area is a small replica of an Olympic temple which was erected in 1960 to honour the Olympic torch which passed through the town for the Olympics held in Rome that year.

From Spring through to October cruise ships anchor in the bay and passengers are transported via tenders to the dock. Taormina is the obvious destination for those disembarking but there are many more shore excursions such as Mount Etna, The Godfather movie filming locations or Sicilian wine tasting.

One important part of the town not to be missed is the Archaeological Park and Museum which allows you to visit some parts of the ancient walls, ruins of houses and the foundations of a large temple, all set amongst olive and fruit trees. The Museum exhibits the remains of important artefacts found during excavations from 1979 including items from Greek times and also the bronze age. Ceramics from the Roman and Byzantine periods are also displayed. In the old Schisò Fort there are fascinating maritime items that have been recovered from the sea. Close by to the park you can see behind some buildings the ruins of the ancient Greek naval port of Naxos where the first settlers built their boats.

There are a few notable churches in town including Chiesa San Pancrazio which is named after the first bishop Pancrazio who was sent by Saint Peter to evangelize Sicily. In July each year we celebrate the Feste of San Pancrazio where his statue is paraded around town with much celebration followed by a mass held in the square in front of the church and fireworks that light up the night sky over the bay.

Giardini Naxos' gem is its train station which it shares with Taormina.

In the 1700's Taormina was already an unmissable stop on the Grand Tour, by the second half of the 1800's Taormina felt it was necessary to meet the demands of tourism that were changing and demanding new comforts. To be well connected to the railway was equal to a declaration of existence. The Bourbons of Naples, even before Italy was united, gave the go ahead to the project of a railway line between Messina and Catania which was completed in 1866. The building of the station of Taormina and Giardini Naxos was completed in 1928. The railway station has played a very important part of cinema history when Francis Ford Coppola was taken by the charm of the place and set a scene from The Godfather Part III with Al Pacino and Diane Keaton. Our beautiful train station was cunningly disguised in the movie as Bagheria, a town located approximately 10km east of Palermo. The station is of an art deco Liberty style which was a unique Italian art movement that was very popular in Sicily. The ceilings are fabulous works of art and the station gives an air of being untouched by time, It still has the old first class and second class waiting rooms.

I love our town, living in Giardini Naxos is a joy. I love the emptiness and peace in winter months, the buzz in Spring as the town gets ready for the summer visitors and I love summer when it is at its busiest and in its full glory. I love that I know exactly which cruise ships are in due in and on which day and the excitement when a new yacht is in the port. Well you never know which celebrity or millionaire it might be ….

Our dog Daisy loves her seaside town too and she is like a little celebrity about town, a five minute walk from our home to the sea front can turn into two hours as the local people all stop to talk to her, such is the hospitality of Giardini Naxos. Daisy has her favourite bar (Café Schisò) and she has her favourite restaurants (Ristorante Pippo Lupo di Mare, Ristorante Pizzeria Royale and Ristorante Spizzicanu) where she is completely and utterly spoilt. But there are many more wonderful places to eat, drink, indulge in a gelato and enjoy an aperativo so please feel free to ask me for recommendations.

In Giardini Naxos past and present come together to give you the best welcome.

To be continued ….

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https://whitealmond-privatesicily.blogspot.com/2018/06/14-things-i-have-learned-living-in.html

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Giardini Naxos … The Archaeological Park & Museum

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