Taormina is one of those places you never forget! From her position on a hilltop, she looks down over the beautiful Ionian Sea and she constantly witnesses the eruptions of Mount Etna. In the evening the glow from Etna adds to her beauty and thrills us with a fiery display.
Tourist season in Taormina is almost year-round. The magnificent resort lures the jet set with its elegant hotels and spas. In the evening streets are lined with shoppers who wouldn’t dream of leaving Taormina without one of her treasures. Perhaps a trinket from one of the many jewelry shops.
Taormina is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It a city where you get lost in your dreams but, it is so much more than a dream….
Every now and then, the tourist go home and the city becomes a magical place! A place where groups of people come together in total alliance. It’s not about the elegant resorts or the fabulous restaurants. No, it’s so much more! It’s the time when Taormina is transformed into a magical place. Thousands of people in love with three handsome Italian men line the streets waiting for the first sight of their guys…. And then, Taormina becomes Il Volo Land….
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Early on Saturday morning, New York time, I got a message from one of the fans that read, “Ignazio has arrived.” She told me the minute Ignazio was spotted, everyone stopped what they were doing, ran out of the shops and went in search of him. I found out that he can clear out every shop along a street in two minutes flat!!! Mr. Personality! It seems Ignazio was in everyone’s picture and selfie on Instagram and Facebook.
Ignazio held down the fort and entertained the fans until Piero and Gianluca arrived!
When the guys come to town, they turn it upside down! They take one of the most famous tourist spots in the world and turn it into IL Volo Land.
The fans start planning for this event as soon as the date of the concert is posted. Every hotel, guest house and apartment is booked long in advance of the concert.
They start to arrive about five days before the guys. They move around making their plans for how and where they will all meet, what dinners they will share and they tell stories about past concerts that they have attended.
While the guys were having lunch another member of the Il Volo family was out working the crowd and stealing the heart of the fans.
Dinner time is the time to meet!
Dinner at La Botte seems to be the one thing everyone can agree on!
So, who gets together? Some are new fans but mostly they are the old die-hard fans. They come back year after year! These are not just fans they are exceptional people who love the guys and have followed them for thirteen years!
But, if you’re a new fan and you don’t know where to go, then take a tip from me!
Go to BAM BAR!
While Ignazio was walking around greeting the fans, Piero and Gianluca were at BAM BAR being interviewed by Francesca Bambara from “Weekly” on Rai 1
How well do the guys know Saretto the owner of BAM BAR. This is a picture from 2018.
When night falls and the Concert begins.
The magnificence of Taormina becomes even more apparent at night fall! The ruins are lit, and the fans are in line waiting to enter the Ancient Greek Theater. The main attraction in Taormina is the Ancient Greek Theater. Built for the most part of brick it seems more likely that it is Roman rather than Greek. The plan and arrangement are in accordance with the Greek style rather than Roman. It is most likely that the present structure was rebuilt over the foundations of an older theatre of the Greek period.
The theater is frequently used for operatic and theatrical performances and for concerts. The greater part of the original seats have disappeared, but the wall which surrounded the whole cavea is preserved. In most ancient theatres only traces of the original remain but here they are preserved in an uncommon state of integrity. From the fragments of architectural decorations, we learn that it was of the Corinthian order, and richly ornamented. Some portions of a temple that are visible were converted into the church of San Pancrazio.
There are many Festivals that take place in this theater. One you will remember is the Taormina Film Fest which Il Volo performed in last year.
The fans have arrived and assembled, and the concert begins.
The guy’s solos are always a major part of the concerts! People try to guess what they will sing but most times they’re wrong. For this World Tour the guys chose three different songs. Let’s say we were all surprised by the choices. But, without a doubt, they were magnificent choices and fabulous solos!
You may not be aware of it, but Piero has been studying the opera Cavalleria Rusticana for the last two years and he made his debut performance in this concert with the aria “Mamma, quel vino è generoso.” The fact that he chose to sing it in Sicily does not escape me. The opera is set in Sicily. Pietro Mascagni, is the Composer. The Italian libretto is by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci.
Ignazio always thinks long and hard about what he will sing. For him every solo has a deep meaning. “All By Myself” is a song that Ignazio sang during quarantine. Loved it then love now!
Gianluca’s choice of “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” needs no explanation. Gianluca said it all before he sang it. He dedicated it to someone special in the audience. Wanna guess who?
The set list as you know is 27 songs. And I promised each week to bring you more songs. These two songs are certainly songs that we know and love and look forward to in every concert!
After the concert, it was back on the streets. Most of the fans went to BAM BAR for Granita!
Some fans like sisters Sabrina and Jessica went to La Botte for dinner and ran into Ignazio and Piero. In the afternoon Gianluca ran into the girls and asked them if they were twins! No, they’re not twins. But they are very lovely Sicilian girls!
The next day everyone was back on the street and it started all over again!
For some it was time to look around and to shop!
For others is was about the beauty of the city!
As you can see this story was about the fans, the images and the music! The guys love the fans! The fans are legendary! They will go down in history alongside Il Volo because of their dedication to them. There were two performances which I’m sure they all attended. As I’m sure they attended Sound Check and Meet & Greet! For now, it’s over but the fans will wait for the next announcement that the guys will be in Taormina and the process will start all over again. See you all next time in Il Volo Land.
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
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