Taormina

Taormina, according to the city's web site, was born as a tourist town.

Founded by the Sicels and later occupied by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, Taormina has always been prized for its magnificent setting high above the sea, its famous view of Mt. Etna, and its mild winter climate.

The city's location on a deep wedge of limestone saves it from earthquakes, preserving both the Greek theater (first built in the 4th century BC and rebuilt by the Romans during the 1st - 3rd centuries AD) as well as the medieval downtown area.

More recently, since about 1700, Taormina has also been known as a writer's haven.  John Dryden, D.H. Lawrence, and Truman Capote have all spent time writing there.  You can read more about "The Literary Ghosts of Taormina" in this article from the Times of Sicily.