Welcome to Taormina - Italy and to the 166th edition of the Forum Song Contest (FSC).
Theme: ‘Italy: The joy of Christmas’
Winner FSC November 2022
Congratulations! ^^
The Host city for this FSC #166-edition is Taormina - Italy. It is a town and municipality in the me
tropolitan city region of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily. Taormina has been a to
urist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on the Ionian sea, incl. that of Isola Bella, are
accessible via an aerial tramway built in year 1992 , and via highways from Messina and Catania.
The history of Taormina dates back to before Ancient Greece established its first colony on Sicily
in 734 BC. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire , Taormina continued to rank as one of the
more important towns of the island . Taormina followed the history of Sicily in being ruled by suc
cessive foreign monarchs. After the Italian unification Taormina began to attract well-off tourists
The present town of Taormina occupies the ancient site on a hill that forms the last projecting po
int of the mountain ridge that extends along the coast from Capo Peloro (the northeastern promo
ntory of the island) to this point. The site of the old town is about 250 metres above the sea while
a very steep & almost isolated rock , crowned by a Norman castle , rises about 150 metres higher
This is the likely site of the ancient Arx or citadel , an inaccessible position mentioned by ancient
writers. Portions of the ancient walls may be traced at intervals all round the brow of the hill , the
whole of the summit of which was occupied by the ancient city. Numerous fragments of ancient
buildings are scattered over its whole surface, incl. extensive reservoirs of water and sepulchres.
In addition tessellated pavements and the remains of a spacious edifice, commonly called a Nau
machia, but the real purpose of which it is difficult to determine. The ancient theatre of Taormina,
the Teatro Antico di Taormina, is built for the most part of brick, & is therefore probably of Roman
date though the plan & arrangement are in accordance with those of Greek theatres (not Roman).
It is therefore believed that the present structure was rebuilt upon the foundations of an older the
atre of the Greek period. With a diameter of 109 metres (358 ft) (after an expansion in the 2nd ce
ntury) this theatre is the second largest of its kind in Sicily (after that of Syracuse); it is frequently
used for operatic and theatrical performances and for concerts and various other cultural events.
The greater part of the original seats have disappeared , but the wall which surrounded the whole
cavea is preserved and the proscenium with the back wall of the scena and its appendages of wh
ich only traces remain in most ancient theatres , are here preserved in an uncommon state of inte
grity . From the fragments of architectural decorations one believes they were of Corinthian order
Some portions of a temple are also visible, converted into the church of San Pancrazio but the ed
ifice is of small size . The Church of San Pancrazio is one of the most important churches in Taor
mina, not only because it hosts the statue of St. Peter’s every year from 29th June to 9th July, the
feast of the patron saint of Taormina, but also because it is the oldest place of worship in the city
‘Italy: The joy of Christmas’
‘Italian Christmas traditions’
One of the most important ways of celebrating Christmas in Italy is the Nativity crib scene. Using
a Nativity scene to help tell the Christmas story was made very popular by St. Francis of Assisi in
1223 (Assisi is in mid-Italy). The previous year he had visited Bethlehem and saw where it was th
ought that Jesus was born. Many Italian families are said to have a Nativity scene in their homes
Christmas Trees are also now popular in Italy, primarily since after WW2. In 1982, Pope John Paul
II , who was Polish , started the tradition of having a Christmas Tree displayed next to the Nativity
Crib on St Peter’s Square, in the Vatican . The crib scene at the Vatican has 17 life size statues , 9
of them date back to 1842. The tree at the Vatican is donated from a different Italian region or co
untry in Europe yearly. It's now traditional that Italians decorate their Christmas trees on 8th Dece
mber (feast of Immaculate Conception). The tree then stays up until the Epiphany on 6th January
One old Italian custom , is that children go out Carol singing & playing songs on shepherds pipes,
wearing shepherds sandals and hats. On Christmas Eve it's common that no meat (and also som
etimes no dairy) is eaten . Often a light seafood meal is eaten and then people go to the Midnight
Mass service . The types of fish , and how they are served , vary between different regions in Italy
When people return from Mass if it's cold, you might have a slice of Italian Christmas Cake called
'Panettone', an Italian speciality, which is like a dry fruity sponge cake and a cup of hot chocolate.
The tradition of the Yule log it has been attested in Italy since 11th century . The Yule log appears
with different names depending on the Italian region . Typical bearers of gifts from the Christmas
period in Italy are Santa Lucia (13th December) , Baby Jesus , Babbo Natale (name given to Santa
Claus) & on Epiphany the Befana. Italians enjoy Christmas, spending time with family & looking fo
rward to a New Year. In Italian ‘Happy/Merry Christmas’ is 'Buon Natale', in Sicilian it's 'Bon Natali’
The Santuario Madonna della Rocca, is also a church of interest. Located on the slope above the
town, it commands an impressive view of the coast and Mount Etna to the south, & is accessible
on foot via the staired path , Salita Castello .Taormina is approximately a 45 min drive away from
Europe's largest active volcano , Mount Etna, situated between the cities of Messina and Catania
The original name for Taormina was Tauromenium (Roman), which means “ home on Mount Taur
us “ , the mountain on which the city was originally built . Some historians claim the name comes
from the Sicilians , others from the Greeks (name in Greek was Tauromenion) . What is certain, is
that the area around Taormina was inhabited by the Siculi (ancient tribe) , even before the Greeks
After the destruction of nearby Naxos in 403 BC, and the foundation of a new settlement on Mou
nt Taurus in yr 358 BC, Andromachus collected the Naxian exiles together again from all parts of
the island & established them at Tauromenium , which became the successor of the ancient Nax
os. The new settlement seems to have risen rapidly to prosperity, & became a considerable town.
It was the first place in Sicily , where Timoleon - a brilliant general, a champion of Greece against
Carthage, and a fighter against despotism ( closely connected with the history of Sicily ) - landed
He did so, having eluded the vigilance of the Carthaginians , who were guarding the Straits of Me
ssina, and he crossed direct from Rhegium ( is modern day Reggio di Calabria ) to Tauromenium.
Tauromenium continued to form a part of the kingdom of Syracuse until the death of Hieron, and
that it only passed under the government of Rome , when the whole island of Sicily , was reduced
to a Roman province . Tauromenium was one of the three cities in Sicily which enjoyed the privile
ges of a civitas foederata or 'allied city' , retaining a nominal independence benefitting the region.
Today many ekshibitions and events are organized during the summer in Taormina. The exceptio
onal stage for pop/classical concerts, opera and important performances often recorded by tv is
the aforementioned Teatro Antico di Taormina (see more below). Since 1983 the most important
performances are realized by Taormina Arte, a festival which does organize local cultural events.
Just south of Taormina is the Isola Bella , a nature reserve & further south , situated beside a bay
is the popular seaside resort of Giardini Naxos.Tours of the CapoSant'Andrea grottos are also av
ailable. Taormina is perched on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea and therefore has a stunning lo
cation. Beside its history it has modern amenities, lively bars, fine restaurants and antique shops
City sights also include : the 12th-14th century Palazzo Corvaja ( named after one of the oldest &
most famous families of Taormina which owned it from 1538 to 1945 ), a 1635 Baroque fountain
the Church of San Domenico, the Anglican Church of Saint George, main square, and the municip
al gardens (Giardini della Villa Comunale) that , in summer, make this place a delight for the eyes.
The Host venue for FSC #166 December 2022, is : Teatro Antico di Taormina , or the Tea
tro Greco as it is also sometimes called. It is an ancient Greek theatre on the Italian island of Sic
ily, in Taormina. It was built in the third (3rd) century BC. A Hellenistic theatre stood at Taormina
from around the third century BC . The remains of another Hellenistic building , have been found
under the Roman cavea . Under Roman rule , the theatre was rebuilt, probably around the time of
Hadrian or Trajan. It was remodelled in the third century AD, with the orchestra turned into an are
na and the stage removed. The ancient theatre had a diameter of 107 metres ( 351 ft ) and could
hold around 10.000 spectators . It is one of the oldest theatres in Magna Graeca (the name given
by the Romans to the coastal areas of Southern Italy incl Sicily) to have curved cavea, rather than
the older trapezoidal design . The cavea were divided into 9 sections . On either side of the skene
was a basilica. Today, the theatre is used as a venue for the annual arts festival Taormina Arte as
well as concerts & other cultural events . They are proud to host this evening’s edition of the FSC.
Our wonderful Hosts this evening are:
Michelle Hunziker , Mariano Di Vaio and Ema Stokholma
Michelle Hunziker is a Swiss-Italian television presenter and former model. She has had a long &
diverse career , modelling , presenting/hosting tv-shows, hosting awards shows & also releasing
music . She was married to famous Italian pop-singer Eros Ramazzotti from 1998 to 2009 & has
a daughter by him. She is very proud to co-host this evening’s edition of the Forum Song Contest
Mariano Di Vaio is an Italian model, fashion designer and entrepeneur. He has had a long and div
erse career, working as a model and studying acting. He has been a brand ambassador for Hugo
Boss and Calvin Klein and has launched his line of jewels, shoes, and also an Eyewear collection
He married in 2015. He is very proud to co-host this evening’s edition of the Forum Song Contest
Ema Stokholma, aka Morwenn Moguerou, is a French-Italian (naturalized Italian) radio presenter
and television presenter. She became a fashion model in Italy for famous fashion houses & later
a tv-presenter. She was presenter on Radio 2 of 2018 ESC, also SanRemo . She released an auto
biography in 2020. She is very proud to co-host this evening’s edition of the Forum Song Contest
And we are now pleased to announce
The Opening Acts
Exclusive International Guest Appearances
Mariah Carey (USA)
Dan Vasc (Brazil)
-
’All I Want For Christmas Is You’
’Angels We Have Heard On High’
Italy is such a beautiful country 
- and Good luck to all entries this Christmas-month!
