“Visit Terre dei Miti e della Bellezza” launches: the GAL Taormina Peloritani area told through podcasts on Loquis

Presented at Palazzo dei Giurati in Taormina, the new podcast channel promoted by GAL Taormina Peloritani in collaboration with Loquis: 30 episodes dedicated to the 29 municipalities of the area between the Ionian coast and the Peloritani villages

The new podcast channel Visit Terre dei Miti e della Bellezza, was presented this morning at Palazzo dei Giurati in Taormina. Promoted by GAL Taormina Peloritani and developed in collaboration with Loquis, the world’s first platform for geolocated travel podcasts—which surpassed 10 million total listens and more than 2.2 million unique listeners in 2025—the initiative aims to showcase the region through immersive storytelling.

The event featured Beatrice Briguglio, Tourism Councillor of the Municipality of Taormina and Director of the GAL Planning Office; Antonio Bonfiglio, President of GAL Taormina Peloritani; Cristian Iovino, Commercial Director of Loquis; Mario Quattrocchi, Councillor of the Municipality of Taormina; and Valeria Brancato, President of Fondazione Taormina, along with representatives of several of the 29 municipalities involved in the project.

“As a GAL, we have supported a process that successfully integrated technical expertise, strategic vision and innovation, with the aim of enhancing the territory in a modern and accessible way,” said Beatrice Briguglio, Tourism Councillor of the Municipality of Taormina and Director of the GAL Planning Office. “In this context, the contribution of Loquis has been particularly significant: through podcasts, we have been able to tell the story of our places, our identities and our heritage using a contemporary language capable of reaching a wide and diverse audience. The role of the GAL is confirmed as that of a facilitator and coordinator of complex processes, capable of connecting municipalities and building large-scale strategies while maintaining a technical and results-oriented approach. Initiatives like this reinforce the idea that territories can be competitive if they work together, enhancing their resources through innovation.”

The Visit Terre dei Miti e della Bellezza channel was created with the aim of promoting and enhancing the cultural, landscape and identity heritage of the area through the language of podcasts, turning the discovery of places into an immersive experience that guides both residents and visitors through a journey of stories, traditions and landscapes.

“The presentation of this project’s results here in Taormina, in front of representatives of the 29 municipalities of the GAL, is not just a moment of sharing outcomes, but above all an opportunity to reaffirm the value of collaboration between local authorities, institutions and qualified partners,” said Antonio Bonfiglio, President of GAL Taormina Peloritani. “This project demonstrates how, when working together with vision and pragmatism, it is possible to enhance our territorial identities through innovative tools. The GAL continues to serve as a point of connection between territories, a place where communities can build shared strategies and shape new development opportunities. This is just one step in a broader journey, in which we are engaged every day in promoting our territory.”

The project consists of 30 episodes dedicated to the 29 municipalities of the area, which stretches from the beaches of the Ionian coast to the inland villages of the Peloritani, where myth, history and nature intertwine in a mosaic of landscapes and communities.

“This project stands out from other experiences because the work has not focused on just a few locations, but on a broad and articulated system involving 29 municipalities, each with its own identity and story to tell,” said Cristian Iovino, Commercial Director of Loquis. “In this context, Taormina plays a key role as an international gateway—a well-established destination that becomes even more strategic when connected to surrounding territories. The value of the project lies precisely in this: starting from a globally recognized destination to guide visitors toward discovering lesser-known villages rich in cultural, landscape and food heritage. Through podcasts, we are able to build a distributed narrative that supports a more balanced and sustainable tourism model, capable of generating opportunities even in smaller centers and enhancing the deeper identity of territories.”

The narrative journey moves through iconic locations and lesser-known villages, creating a storytelling itinerary that begins in Taormina, the international gateway to the area, and continues through spectacular landscapes such as Castelmola, overlooking Mount Etna and the Ionian coast. The journey continues through historic villages in the Valle d’Agrò, such as Forza d’Agrò and Casalvecchio Siculo, and through towns suspended between sea and mountains like Gallodoro, Limina and Antillo.

From the coast, the route reaches seaside locations such as Letojanni, Sant’Alessio Siculo, Furci Siculo and Nizza di Sicilia, extending as far as Messina, the city of the Strait and a historic crossroads of cultures and Mediterranean routes. Inland, the journey highlights villages where nature and memory intertwine, such as Mandanici, Fiumedinisi, Itala and Alì, guardians of traditions, legends and stories passed down over time. A journey that reflects the diversity and cultural richness of a territory where each town represents a piece of a shared collective identity.

The municipalities involved also include Alì Terme, Pagliara, Roccalumera, Roccafiorita, Roccavaldina, Santa Teresa di Riva, Savoca, Scaletta Zanclea, Torregrotta, Valdina, Venetico, Villafranca Tirrena and Saponara.

The project is part of the cooperation initiative among Sicilian GALs “Discovering Rural Sicily – Itinerari integrati ed esperienze uniche nell’isola dell’accoglienza”, created to promote a model of slow, experiential and sustainable tourism capable of enhancing inland and lesser-known areas of Sicily and building an integrated tourism network across territories.

The episode texts are written by journalist and copywriter Simone Rausi, while narration is provided by actor Andrea Trovato, with sound design by Riccardo Cocozza and production by the Loquis Factory.

Thanks to Loquis technology, content is geolocated and can be listened to directly in the places being told, transforming visits into a narrative experience that accompanies travelers step by step through landscapes, history and local traditions.

With Visit Terre dei Miti e della Bellezza, the territory of GAL Taormina Peloritani gains a new tool for promotion and cultural enhancement, capable of preserving the memory of places while opening new opportunities for tourism development for local communities.

Visit Terre dei Miti e della Bellezza is available both on desktop and via the Loquis app, which can be downloaded for free from all app stores.

For further information: Spencer & Lewis for Loquis.