Built inside a grotto on Monte Tauro, this small church was founded by the abbot Francesco Raineri in around 1640. According to legend, the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus appeared to a young shepherd who had taken refuge in the grotto during a sudden storm. The lofty view from the church's terrace is almost as heavenly, taking in Taormina and the deep-blue Ionian Sea beyond.
Santuario Madonna della Rocca
Taormina
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.47 MILES
Taormina's premier sight is this perfect horseshoe-shaped theatre, suspended between sea and sky, with Mt Etna looming on the southern horizon. Built in…
-
Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare
29.33 MILES
Messina's redeveloped regional museum is one of Sicily's lesser-known highlights, with an extensive collection of fascinating art and archaeology. Its…
-
Museo Nazionale di Reggio Calabria
26.93 MILES
Over several floors in Southern Italy's finest museum you'll descend through millennia of local history, from Neolithic and Palaeolithic times through…
-
28.87 MILES
If you have a car, don't miss the scenic drive north along Strada Panoramica to see the gorgeous, rugged coastline of Capo Milazzo. At the end of the…
-
26.35 MILES
Completed in 1890 and made for homegrown composer Vincenzo Bellini, Catania's opera house is suitably lavish, from the stucco-and-marble extravagance of…
-
26.57 MILES
Catania's raucous fish market, which takes over the streets behind Piazza del Duomo every workday morning, is pure street theatre. Tables groan under the…
-
26.52 MILES
The Monastero delle Benedettine covers two adjacent sites: a Benedictine convent and the Chiesa di San Benedetto. Top billing goes to the church, built…
26.52 MILES
A Unesco World Heritage Site, Catania's central piazza is a set piece of contrasting lava and limestone, surrounded by buildings in the unique local…
Nearby Taormina attractions
0.06 MILES
Perched atop Monte Tauro are the (inaccessible) ruins of this castle, built between the 11th and 12th centuries. The castle sits on the former site of…
0.09 MILES
The short climb to the top of Monte Tauro (378m) is not exactly Himalayan, but it is steep and the final steps are quite hard work. Your reward is a…
0.17 MILES
The 14th-century Palazzo Ciampoli stands adjacent to the Hotel El Jebel.
0.18 MILES
Overlooking Piazza IX Aprile, this jewel-box church was completed in the early 18th century. The central portal is made of local marble while the portals…
0.18 MILES
Located just west of the main square, Piazza IX Aprile, this 12th-century clock tower marks the entrance to Borgo Medievale, Taormina's oldest quarter.
0.19 MILES
Taormina's chief delight is wandering this pedestrian-friendly, boutique-lined thoroughfare. Start at the tourist office in Palazzo Corvaja, which dates…
7. Palazzo Duca di Santo Stefano
0.23 MILES
Just behind Corso Umberto and near Porta Catania, this 13th-century palace was once home to the De Spuches, a noble family of Spanish origin. Now used as…
0.25 MILES
Dating back to the 10th century, the crenellated, Arab-influenced Palazzo Corvaja houses the tourist office and occasional exhibitions.