"In the making of a tourist resort, the strangers and their presence are only half the matter; the other half is the local people and their reactions. This study examines what the Taorminese did to develop their resources, the image and myth of Taormina, reconstructing its history from the local people's point of view.

The social organization of the community, its urban statute and sentiment, its first contact with outsiders, its history and monuments, its popular culture and sense of identity are carefully investigated."--BOOK JACKET.