Taormina
The Greek Theatre of Taormina is one of the oldest, largest, and best preserved arena from the time Sicily was colonized by various Greek city-states. Hungarian painter Tivadar Csontváry made several famous paintings of the theatre in the early 20th century, way before Taormina became the tourist spot it is today. This post compares his paintings to actual photos I took at the site.
One of the few Hungarian painters of international fame is Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka. Originally a pharmacist, in his 40s he decided to become a painter. He travelled the Mediterranean, and captured many a breathtaking view in his unique style that one would call post-impressionist.
One such view is the ancient Greek Theatre of Taormina, Sicily, which I had the good fortune to visit earlier this year. Csontváry made some six paintings in Taormina, and at least three were about this magnificent ancient theatre from the 3rd century BCE.
When you visit the Greek Theatre, you can tell a tourist is Hungarian when they try to take a photo that replicates one of Csontváry's paintings. Local guides, including the young skipper on the sailboat we took in May, will know about these paintings – they think Taormina owes its fame to these artists.
I had a zoom lens with me, so I was unable to take the kind of wide-angle picture Csontváry painted. The one wide-angle photo was taken with an old iPhone. On the other hand, I did not have to paint, so I could preserve the view from several angles, with peeks at the harbor and Naxos, at the upper town. One image just shows Mount Etna, clouded in its own volcanic vapor, with sunlight gently falling in from the West.
One of the photos shows a sculpture of a young woman. This is not from ancient times, and it is not part of the Greek Theatre. Modern-day sculptor Jago had four works exhibited here till June 30. One of them is a Female David, made in 2024; this last photo is graced by her.
The last two images in the gallery are reproductions of Csontváry's paintings. Both are on display in the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest. Click here for details on the other painting.
All other photos were taken by me and are included here without any post-processing, except for some slight straightening of slanted images.
Scroll down to read the description of each photo.
Description of photos, from left to right and top to bottom:
The famous "opening" in the theatre wall, with a view of Taormina and Naxos harbors, Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Upper town of Taormina behind the walls, Taormina, Sicily, Italy
The "opening" in the wall from a different angle, Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Details of column heads on display in the Greek Theatre, Taormina, Sicily, Italy
The theatre wall from the stage level, Greek Theatre, Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Wide-angle view of the Greek Theatre of Taormina, Sicily, Italy. Taken using an old iPhone
The Mount Etna with volcanic clouds and sunlight, viewed from the Greek Theatre, Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Female David by Jago (2024), temporary exhibition in the Greek Theatre, Taormina, Sicily, Italy