ancient abbey - Palazzo Badia

The ancient abbey Palace is dedicated to Madre Badessa Eufemia, regent of the Kingdom of Sicily in the name of her younger brother Federico IV called The Simple. The building, a fourteenth century tower, belonged to the defensive walls of the city. It has been restored and altered several times over the centuries and it shows double lancet windows, lava-stone ornaments and white stone from Syracuse, and its top is surrounded by swallow-tailed merlons. Seat of the Archaeological Museum of Taormina, it houses archaeological finds of the Greek and Roman period, some of which were found during the excavations carried out between 1984 and 1998 by the Superintendency of Messina. Among the spendid finds exhibited in the Abbey there are Amphoras, anchors, telamons, marble statues. Also, there are numerous works and decorations coming from villas and other places in Taormina.