Taormina … Isola Bella 🌺

Taormina has always been renowned as a destination for British visitors ever since the 18th Century with many leaving a legacy of history and romance giving the town a quintessential British touch. From the Grand Tour to poets, writers, movie stars and pop idols you can find evidence of the British Isles everywhere.

In the 18th century British aristocracy would embark on what was known as 'The Grand Tour' visiting all of continental Europe enjoying the culture and embarking on purchasing fine works of art and antiques. Taormina was an obligatory stop on The Grand Tour and has played host to foreign visitors ever since. Being the last stop on the tour many decided to stay and make Taormina their home. Visitors chose Taormina for its peaceful location and beautiful landscapes with many drawing inspiration for paintings, poems and novels. They enjoyed Taormina’s glamourous way of life, with afternoon teas and soirees in beautiful villas and lush gardens.

The Villa Communale more commonly known as Giardino Pubblico (Public Gardens) is a must see when visiting Taormina, the much loved gardens are an oasis of tranquil quietness away from the buzz of Corso Umberto and provide's shade from the Sicilian sun. Situated on Via Bagnoli Croce there are spectacular views across Taormina towards Mount Etna and down to the bay of Naxos.

The gardens were created by a lady named Florence Trevelyan who chose to settle in Taormina in the late eighteen hundreds after falling victim to its charm. She called the gardens “Hallington Siculo”, Hallington being the hamlet in Newcastle in England where she grew up.

It has been said that Florence was invited to leave England after a rumoured romantic entanglement with Queen Victoria’s son the Prince of Wales, who was to be the future King Edward VII. However there is no evidence that Florence had ever been to the court of Queen Victoria or even met the then Prince Edward or that she was ever his lover. Neither is there any evidence that she was exiled or lived in Taormina on profits from an English investment. It has also been written that her mother was a lady in waiting to Queen Victoria. It is said that Florence only met Edward after he became King Edward VII when he visited Taormina and was the guest of Miss Mabel Hill of the The Hill Family from Wales. The rumour of a royal scandal is said to derive from a Taorminese lawyer and journalist and is now considered as one of Sicily's many myths and legends.

Whatever the reason was that Florence left England, whether it was because of the rumoured royal affair or because of her determination to become one of the first female travellers to embark on The Grand Tour, it is for sure that she was certainly seduced by Taormina. I know exactly how she must have felt seeing Taormina for the first time and being in awe of the town.

Florence was born in 1852 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Her father committed suicide in 1854 when she was aged two. After her mother’s death in November 1877 she toured Europe with her cousin Harriet Perceval for about two years before eventually settling in Taormina in 1884, which she made her permanent home. It is said that on 26th February 1881 she arrived in Sicily via Messina where she took a train to Taormina. When she got into the carriage she was enraptured by the journey writing in her travel journal "the route from the train station to Taormina is wonderful, big beautiful, immense, very picturesque, beautiful, seductive ..."

In 1890 she married a successful local veterinary doctor, Salvatore Cacciola, from Taormina, who was also the towns mayor for many years. Florence had met him whilst seeking veterinary assistance due to her "soft heart for stray dogs". Together they owned many properties and land. Florence died in 1907 from pneumonia in Taormina and as requested in her will she was buried in a mausoleum on her property located on Monte Venere overlooking Taormina. In the mausoleum is a marble bust of her resting on four books of which a bronze copy can now be seen in the gardens.

Florence was a nature lover and was always accompanied by her beloved dogs and animals. Her will stated that her numerous animals should be taken care of, in particular her parrots, peacocks, pigeons and canaries so she created the gardens. The bird feeder buildings that today make up most of the gardens were designed by Florence referring to them as “Apiary” (The Hives) using them as an observation point for birds and a serene place to enjoy her English afternoon tea. To locals the buildings are referred to as the curious and eccentric Victorian Follies.

Florence also bought Isola Bella in 1890, the beautiful rocky outcrop only attached to the mainland by a narrow sandy path off the coast below Taormina, she built a house and established a garden there. In among the native Mediterranean plants, she planted non-native trees, rare shrubs and grasses. It also became the home of various sea birds and some interesting lizards. Isola Bella is now protected by WWF and it has been declared a Nature Reserve with thanks to its beauty and untouched nature.

The island emerges from the sea between Capo San’Andrea and Capo Taormina. It is accessed by steps leading down to an enticing beach and the little island is accessible by foot when the tide is low. The island is protected as a marine life sanctuary and is open to the public. The beach is mostly pebbles and stones, further to the end of the beach the stones are so big that if you find one big enough to sunbathe on you feel like you are on your own private island. There are a few cute trattorias down there for a bite to eat and you can take a boat tour around Isola Bella and along the Taormina coastline.

I have always loved the view of Isola Bella from Taormina or as we drive past in our car but after twenty years of visiting and living in Sicily, although I have taken walks down to the beach several times, I had never set foot on the island mainly because we would usually have one of our dogs with us. To me the island always looked like a place of fantasy and intrigue like a location out of a James Bond movie with its secret little entrance for boats.

When we first visited Taormina twenty years ago, and thereafter bought our home in Giardini Naxos, the tiny island was closed to the public but after some reconstruction to make the paths safe a few years ago the island opened to the public. Finally after twenty years this spring I got to visit this fascinating island with my lovely English friend Teresa who also lives in Giardini Naxos and loves to join me on explorations and adventures.

Isola Bella sits beautifully proud in the sea below Taormina and is one of the most iconic views from some parts of the town.

Getting on board a cable car is always exciting. In a few minutes from the centre of Taormina you can reach the deep blue sea otherwise known as Taormina’s seafront. Departure is from Via Luigi Pirandello a three minute walk from Porta Messina in Taormina, departures are every fifteen minutes. After disembarking from the cable car turn right and walk up the road and within three minutes you will find the steps that lead down to the beach of Isola Bella. In all I think that I counted around approximately one hundred and twenty eight steps. The beach and the water here are very rocky so water shoes are a good idea if you have some.

Living in Giardini Naxos myself and Teresa had no need to take the cable car and instead my husband gave us a lift there in our car. We had already given ourselves fuel for our descent down the steps to the beach by having a traditional Sicilian breakfast of granita and brioche in Giardini Naxos.

Whilst walking down the steps the sight of Isola Bella was just stunning as we got glimpses of the island as it peeped at us between the many bougainvillea plants that were abundant with bright pink flowers.

Our special mission was waiting for us.

Isola Bella is connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of sand. Depending on the specific tide this strip maybe completely dry or partially covered by water but it is usually passable except maybe in bad weather. You might get caught by surprise however by the odd smallish rogue wave so ladies it is best not to wear long flouncy dresses or skirts to avoid getting a soggy bottom. I adorned myself in shorts and trainers so that I could explore the rocky island easily with comfortable foot attire. The paths can be quite steep on there and there are many uneven steps, not the best place for flip flops or sandals and I do have a history of falling over easily but that is another story in my Blog archive.

As Teresa and I walked along the stony beach it became apparent that on this particular morning the strip of sand was submerged and so we sat on the beach to remove our footwear. The stones on the seabed are fairly uncomfortable to walk on bare footed and I made a note to myself to purchase that pair of water shoes that I keep promising myself that I will buy each time we visit Gole Alcantara with our dog when I go into the icy river with him which has a stony riverbed. As we waded through the shallow water with a lot of ouches declared out loud I wondered how on earth the ladies of Florence Trevelyan’s era in the late 1800’s made it across to the island in their giant Victorian long dresses and skirts, petticoats and stockings plus fine shoes and boots adorned with embroidery and lace. Maybe they timed their visits carefully as to avoid the tide. Or maybe they took a small boat to the little cave with a boat dock inside that looks like somewhere James Bond might arrive in secret whilst on a spy mission.

Once on dry land with, our footwear back on, an information board regaled us with a history of Taormina, the Grand Tour, the British influence and their contribution to Taormina including St George’s Anglian Church which was built by The Hill Family from Wales, the Ashbee Hotel built by the well known British architect Charles Robert Ashbee, Florence’s many properties that she built and Villa La Falconara which was built for Alexander Nelson Hood the Viscount Bridport and Duke of Brontë who was a descendant of Admiral Lord Nelson. Nelson was gifted a property in the town of Brontë which still exists to this day. The castle (a former monastery) and the estate was given to Lord Nelson as part of his dukedom by the King of Naples, Ferdinand I in gratitude for British help overcoming the Neapolitan revolution of 1799 and for bringing the royal family back to safety in Palermo. The board also told the history of The Bosurgi Family who in the 1950’s and 1960’s transformed Isola Bella into the wonderful place we would be exploring today.

The name “Isola Bella” (Beautiful Island) was given by the German photographer Wilhelm von Gloeden. Von Gloeden was a German photographer and came to Taormina as a painter in 1878 for health reasons and some say to escape his homosexuality. He is mostly known for his artfully nude photos of Sicilian boys. He bought a house in front of the San Domenico Hotel which is now the Four Seasons hotel known these days as the setting of the American TV series The White Lotus. His photos became well known attracting tourists such as Oscar Wilde to Taormina. He is buried in Taormina’s cemetery and I agree totally with his sentiment that Isola Bella certainly is a beautiful island.

After paying our entrance fee of €6 as we went through the entrance turnstiles Teresa and I felt as if we had been transported into a secret grotto with almost like a maze of cobbled pathways leading around the little island up and down with secret doorways in the walls leading to terraces and cave like rooms carved out of the island. I really did feel like I was on a mission in a James Bond movie as I discovered that a wall I pushed against accidentally opened onto a pathway to a building. It was the perfect start to our mission to explore more.

The present day appearance of the island is with thanks to the Bosurgi Family who significantly modified its profile with the addition of a villa and separate rooms for their guests hidden by the artificial walls of rock, the family also introduced more magnificent flora that complemented the islands original scrub woodland that was first nurtured and extended by Florence Trevelyan. The environmental and landscape uniqueness is evident by observing the villa and the details that characterise it. The asperity of the calcareous rocks, the series of rooms and view points connected by internal and external staircases and steps, vaults and hidden passageways covered with stones give the island a unique and fascinating character.

As we started to explore the rooms in the buildings carved out of the rock we read information boards that taught us more about the island, its history and the owners who had lovingly cared for it. The island’s illustrious past came to life in our eyes as a timeline wall documented Isola Bella from 1800 to 2018.

We learned that the history of Isola Bella began with Ferdinando I of Borbone, who in 1806 donated the island to the mayor of Taormina, Pancrazio Ciprioti, who later sold it to Florence Trevelyan in 1890. Subsequently it passed to the Lo Turco Family who then ceded it to the Bosurgi Family in 1938 and in 1963, by inheritance, it was passed down to Emilio and Leone Bosurgi, known entrepreneurs from Messina, who built rooms into the rock and integrated them perfectly into the vegetation. in 1992 Isola Bella was acquired by the Sicilian Region and it entered the domain of the Department of Cultural Heritage managed by the Superintendency of Messina. In 1998 the island was established as a nature reserve in order to protect the flora and fauna. In 2010 the Archaeological Park of Naxos was established in which Isola Bella was included along with the Ancient Greek Theatre of Taormina and the Museum and Archaeological Park of Giardini Naxos.

One of the boards told us of “La Dolce Vita”, meaning in English “The Good Life” or “The Sweet Life”, telling of the time of Taormina’s golden era known as “Biennio d’oro” when Taormina become a popular destination for international stars like Marlene Dietrich, Gregory Peck, Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Cary Grant, also stars of Italian cinema, other famous celebrities of the time and members of the aristocracy. Walking through the streets of Taormina in the 1960's and 1970's it was usual to see VIP's from the world of entertainment. Some were drawn to the annual Taormina Film Festival which today is still held yearly in the Ancient Greek Theatre and also by the opening of the historic Kursaal Casino in Villa Mon Repos in 1963 which became famous around the world with thanks to Commander Domenico Guarnaschelli who converted the villa into the first casino in Taormina. Other leisure activities, such as the famous "Sesto Acusto", were available for these VIP's who were often guests of the Bosurgi Family in the rooms of Isola Bella. When perusing these rooms Teresa and I could imagine the fabulous dinner parties that we have been told about that were thrown by the family for their special guests.

Next we learned of the legacy of the Bosurgi Family.

In February 1938, Adriana Caneva of Rivarolo bought Isola Bella from Miss Cingari Carmela, widow of Antonino Lo Turco. In May 1963 she transferred the island to her sons Leone and Emilio Bosurgi. Emilio became enchanted by the island visiting it often with his family and staying there. His creative spirit and his deep sensitivity to nature were a guide to his creativity to build stone on stone to create the island that we see today. Isola Bella became one of the first symbols of bio-architecture in Sicily and boasted an ingenious system of irrigation with fresh water. The artistic creativity of Emilio can be seen in the large secret stone doors that open up with the help of hydraulic pumps. The yellow stained glass windows bring the golden colour of the sun inside the rooms and the precious doors in copper and wrought iron were designed and created by Emilio personally. Even the lighting was cared for throughout the island with precious lanterns recovered from ancient ships. Isola Bella became a beacon of Sicilian art that made it an exclusive artists residence. On his "wild island" Emilio built two beautiful swimming pools, one of which was located underground inside the island which no longer exists and an outdoor one with a striking shape with a natural waterfall that with thanks to a powerful pump was able to pull the water directly from the sea. I have also been told that there was slides that plummeted down into the sparkling sea.

It is with thanks to Florence and Emilio that we have such a beautiful unique island in Taormina.

The bay of Isola Bella bears witness to remains of shipwrecks dating back to the time of antiquity and close by remains of a ship that sank with a cargo of columns is still submerged and is a delight for divers to explore. Many archaeological finds have been located in the waters some of which are displayed in the exhibit rooms of Isola Bella but most finds are held at the Museum in the Archaeological Park of Giardini Naxos. Scuba diving, snorkelling and boat tours can be arranged on the beach of Isola Bella. In a typical wooden boat skillfully captained by one of the local sailors you can get close to the island and the lava cliffs and sea caves of Taormina’s coastline that create spectacular scenery. With the boat moored you can jump into the crystal clear water for snorkelling. One of the stops close to Isola Bella is the Blue Grotto, an underwater cave. You will be amazed by the beauty if the blue cave with its wonderful light reflections and diversity of sea life. For the more adventurous and experienced divers, trips can be arranged with fully qualified diving instructors in the natural lagoon which form Capo San'Andrea passing through a tunnel about five feet long running through a sea wall. You will see colourful corals and sponges, starfish, parrot fish, lobster, shrimp and octopus all that live in the crevices of the cave. You will also visit Taormina's shipwrecks on your dive.

Recently Isola Bella stepped into the spotlight in the American TV series The White Lotus. The story that the character Quentin tells Tanya about the island is not true, there has never been a Swedish family that lived there. It was at Isola Bella that Daphne lures Ethan to in the final episode of season two of the series.

Adjacent to Isola Bella you will find La Plage Hotel. This resort features bungalows designed for comfort which are built in harmony with the surrounding environment, some offering private jacuzzis or mini-pools. There is also a beach club. The hotel is very popular for weddings and events and each autumn I am always invited to its wedding showcase featuring local suppliers and I get to enjoy some of the hotels delicious Sicilian cuisine.

After exploring the island and having fun with the hidden doors Teresa and I said a fond farewell to Isola Bella. It was time to remove our footwear again and wade back to the beach. The cool and refreshing seawater soothed our tired feet after our visit to this beautiful island. We headed back up the multitude of stairs, which was a lot more tougher than going down, and treated ourselves to an Aperol Spritz each and sat and planned our next adventure.

Watch this space ...

I loved stepping back in time visiting Isola Bella and I adore the fascinating British history of Taormina. I am truly blessed to live in such a wonderful part of the world and feel proud to carry on the British legacy in Taormina by writing my Sicily Travel Food and Lifestyle Blog.

Please note: The contents of this Blog post is created from my own knowledge and research and with help from locals with inside information

Credits with thanks to:

Regione Sicilia

Città di Taormina

Parco di Naxos Taormina

and

Adriana Bosurgi

At the date of my visit the entrance fee for Isola Bella was €6, On the First Sunday of each Month entrance to all of Sicily’s Regional Cultural Museums and Archaeological Sites is FREE

Now let me flood you with photos of

Isola Bella