Driving Directions:  Make a left from the NAS 1 gate, drive straight. ABOUT CASTELMOLA  After about 3km, make a right for the Autostrada and take the Castelmola is a village located in

A19 towards . of the Province of . It sits elevated, overlooking Taormina and

 Take the A18 towards Messina the bay of Giardini . Castelmola and get off at the Taormina exit. has narrow winding streets and Olde world charm make that makes it a destination for anyone wishing to  Follow the signs for Taormina- experience the enchanting beauty of Castelmola continuing up the . curvy road.

*Note*: You can drive all the way up the mountain and follow the signs for Castelmola. If you prefer not to drive into town, you can park at the parking lot below Taormina (about 1.50 euro per hour) and take a shuttle bus up to Castelmola.

Coordinates: 37.859053, 15.277825 or 37°51'32.59″, 15°16'40.17″ Estimated time: 50 min.

MWR Sigonella PSC 812 Box 3390 FPO, AE 09627-3390

DSN: 624.4777 cOMMERCIAL: 011.39.095.86.4777 shapes, lengths and materials, in wood, INFORMATION Castelmola ceramics, terracotta, worked iron, pasta Sources: and marzipan. The Minchia sets the POINTS OF INTEREST tempo of the bar and the moods of all http://www.castelmola.com/ those within it. The penis is not a Castello di Castelmola lies in the perverse symbol and finds his roots in http://www.castles.nl/eur/it/cm/cm.ht village of the same name, in the Messina Greek culture, where the god Priapous ml province on the island of Sicily in . represented fertility, freedom, fortune, The site of Castelmola, a 530 meters life and beauty. high precipitous rocky ridge above the town of Taormina, was first fortified by the Byzantines around 800 AD. It was used as an outpost for Taormina. In 902 this fortification fell to the Muslims after a fierce resistance. In 1078, the Norman count Roger I of Sicily, conquered the area from the Muslims. The Normans then built a new castle incorporating the older walls. What we see today are mostly the remains of the 16th century version of the castle.

The remains of Castelmola Castle may not be very much but they offer a great view over Taormina Castle below and the town of Taormina below that. It can be visited freely during daytime.

Bar Turrisi is a bar known for its almond wine and visual attraction, thus referred to by Americans as The Penis Bar, the word penis is referred to in Sicilian as: La Minchia. The idea of La Minchia has definitely had a big impact on the population, especially on the priest. However, in the following years the symbol was accepted by everyone and became an important part of the bar. In fact, it is present in different