Naumachie in Taormina

taormina

09 August 2018

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Brought to light only in 1943, the Naumachie is the remains of an old Roman wall, 130 meters long, with 18 niches that surrounded the Gymnasium. Built in the 1st Ct BC, it is, after the Greek theatre, the oldest structure in the town.

The name Naumachie, meaning “the sea battle”, was wrongly given to the structure due to the big water basin found here. However, the basin wasn’t used to stage the big sea battles but was just a reservoir used as a water supply for the Gymnasium and the city.