In the city of Sicily, Italy

 “All of Sicily is a dimension of the imagination.” -- Leonardo Sciascia

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(in Italy) Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is an autonomous region of Italy that includes numerous smaller isles. It is separated from the mainland region of Calabria by the five kilometer (~3 mi.) Straits of Messina. Sicily is blessed with great art and along history; from Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples to Palermo’s Baroque churches, and a home at various times, to every great Mediterranean civilization. The island’s distinctive geological feature is Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest active volcano. Featured here is the town of Taormina in eastern Sicily, on a hill rising almost perpendicularly from the sea, at the foot of Monte Tauro between Messina and Catania. Founded in the 4th century BCE, Taormina enjoyed great prosperity under the Greek ruler Gelon II and later under the Romans, but fell into quiet obscurity after being conquered by the Normans in 1087. Its reincarnation as a tourist destination dates to the 18th century, when northern Europeans discovered it on the "Grand Tour." Among its fans was D.H. Lawrence, who lived here between 1920 and 1923. There are also remains of the Roman Odeon theater here, discovered during excavations in 1892, and of the so-called Naumachia (a reservoir). The famous Greek theater, rebuilt in Roman times, stands on the spur of Monte Tauro, affording a splendid view of Mt. Etna to the southwest and the mountains of Calabria across the sea to the north. The cathedral and the Corvaja, Santostefano, and Ciampoli palaces date from the medieval period. Volcanic Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea provide the cinema-worthy backdrop for Taormina, Sicily's legendary resort town. Twisting medieval streets and a 2nd-century Greek theater add to its romantic air, which inspired the writings of D.H. Lawrence (and Truman Capote). Take a cable car to the beach, or walk uphill behind the Church of St. Joseph for panoramic views.