My name is Alessandro Adorno and I am the founder and director of the Centre for Italian Studies "Babilonia", and I would like to welcome you to the website for Italian Studies in Taormina and introduce you to the history of our Italian language school in Taormina, Sicily!

After getting my University Degree in Foreign languages (Translation and Interpreting) in Florence, being a native Sicilian, I founded the Centre for Italian Studies with the intention of offering those who love Italy and the Italian language and culture the possibility to learn Italian in Italy in another part other than the traditional destinations for learning Italian in Italy and to offer the opportunity to study Italian in Sicily. A bet in which nobody believed in 1992, when it was considered "crazy" to offer Italian courses in the south of Italy and ironically laughed at us. Our Centre for Italian Studies is the oldest Italian language school in Sicily and one of the oldest and most accredited Italian language schools in South of Italy.

For more than 2500 years, Sicily has shared its spirit with travellers from many lands. Situated in the center of the Mediterranean, Sicily has served as a meeting place for three continents, each of which has contributed to Sicily's unique history and culture. There are few other places which have been impacted by as great a number of civilizations: the Sicani, the Sicilians, the Greeks, the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Arabs, the Normans, the Spaniards, all influenced the vibrant Sicilian culture. Our study abroad programs reflect Sicily's magnificently rich 2500 years of knowledge, poetry, art and traditions. Studying Italian in Sicily is also an opportunity to discover the roots of the Italian culture.

Since 1992, we have passionately dedicated ourselves to promoting our Sicilian heritage and culture along with the study of the Italian language. Since then, we strive to offer opportunities for learners of Italian language to also become learners of the Italian culture and Italian life.

A language is not the result of a set of grammar rules. A language is the result of a culture, of its history, its traditions, its territory.

And this is why, over the years, we have created "Italian plus..." programs: Italian courses plus Cooking courses, Italian courses plus Wine Tasting, Italian courses plus ceramics, painting, pottery in Sicily, Italian courses plus Hiking & Trekking in Sicily, Italian courses plus Diving in Sicily, Italian courses plus Golf in Sicily.

The main goal of our "Italian plus fun" programs being giving you the chance to study Italian and to enjoy a life and cultural experience in Sicily, fully immersed in its culture, in its history, in its traditions, in its territory.

Studying abroad is an experience that broadens our knowledge and our spirit.

If, beyond learning Italian in Italy and a full immersion study abroad stay, you also want a fuller cultural experience in Sicily, you can choose our Italian culture courses: Art History in Sicily, The Sicilian Writer in the Italian Literature; History of Sicily and combine them with our Italian language courses

In our Italian language courses, we combine high teaching quality with the most personal and friendly atmosphere and environment. Since 1992, we have had years of constant appreciation and academic recognitions. The unique atmosphere at our school has been consistently reported by our students. The high percentage of students who return to our school, or recommend the school to their friends, additionally attests to the merit of the Center for Italian Studies "Babilonia".

Me and my collegues wish to welcoming you soon in Taormina and offer the opportunity to discover our island so full of history, so full of culture, so full of light!

Alessandro Adorno
founder & director

Study & learn Italian in Italy with BABILONIA - Centre for Italian Studies - Taormina, Sicily