Mount Venus in Castelmola (also known as Monte Venere) is a place rich in history and curiosity. Among the locations of the novel “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” by David Herbert Lawrence, Mount Venus was inspired by the licentious behavior of the German Baroness Frieda von Richthofen, wife of the English writer. During their stay in Taormina, Frieda had the opportunity to express her exuberant sensuality among the vineyards and farms of the Castelmola countryside, with the young mule driver Peppino D’Allura.
But Mount Venus was also one of the favorite places of Florence Trevelyan, an English noblewoman who settled in Castelmola after her marriage to Professor Cacciola. Trevelyan loved these places so much that she built her stone cottage, still visible today, on the panoramic viewpoint. The noblewoman invested part of her finances in the purchase of vast uncultivated areas and reforestation, turning these rugged mountains into forests of eucalyptus, chestnut and oak trees. She contributed to the construction of the Taormina town hall and the two children’s playhouses. She also designed the Scalazze mule track, a beautiful path that reaches the top of the mountain passing through the ruins of the Café Monte Venere, an aristocratic symbol of the Belle Epoque.
Mount Venus gets its name from a probable pagan cult related to the goddess Venus. In any case, this mountain has witnessed many romantic and intriguing stories, and is still a charming place to visit today.
Photo: Etnatribe
