The women began gathering at Varo Church late in the afternoon on Good Friday. Dressed in black from head to toe, with a medallion of the Madonna hanging from royal purple ribbons around their necks, they began final preparations for a Christian ritual that has been performed for centuries in the town of Taormina, Sicily. … Read more
Cliffside pathway along the brilliant blue Ionian Sea at the Gardens of the Villa Communale, commonly called the Public Gardens in Taormina, Sicily, Italy. The gardens were designed in the late 19th century by Lady Florence Trevelyan, who was asked to leave Britain after a dalliance with future king, Edward VII.
Piazza IX Aprile, anchored by the former Gothic Sant Agostino Church, seen here from the steps of the Church of San Giuseppe. This piazza, or plaza, is the heart of Taormina and the gateway to the oldest part of the city. The old church now serves as a quasi-public library, which also occasionally hosts art … Read more
Greek Amphitheater in Taormina, Sicily, with snow-capped Mount Etna in the distance, is thought to originally have been built by Greeks in the 7th century BC. Romans expanded the facility in the second century AD, and it is still used extensively today for performances, like the one for which it is being set up in … Read more
At dusk in Taormina, Italy, worshipers take to the streets, carrying the particular icon of their church to the Cathedral during the Good Friday Procession. Following a brief ceremony at the Cathedral, participants once again take to the dark streets, carefully navigating the cobblestones by the light of their hand-held torches.
