Palazzo Duchi di Santo Stefano, Gothic palace near Porta Catania, Taormina, Italy.

Palazzo Duchi di Santo Stefano is a tall rectangular palace of rough grey-brown masonry, built into Taormina's town walls. Its top edge carries a band of small dark triangular dentils, and the main facade has three levels: three pointed Gothic arched windows with stone tracery at the upper level, three smaller pointed-arch windows below, and a central pointed-arched doorway with one arched window to its left. Small square stone corbels dot the walls beneath the windows.

Construction took place between the late 14th and early 15th centuries as a residence for the De Spuches family. In 1964, the Municipality of Taormina acquired the building to open it for public use and cultural activities.

The palace has housed the Fondazione Mazzullo since 1964, dedicated to Giuseppe Mazzullo, born in Graniti in 1913 and died in Taormina in 1988. In summer the sloping garden in front of the east and north facades hosts cultural events, and a well at its centre collects rainwater.

The building stands near Porta Catania in central Taormina and is easily walkable from the main town area. Keep in mind that it functions as an active event venue, so visiting conditions may vary depending on scheduled activities.

A pink granite column on the ground floor comes from the nearby Greek Theatre, an unexpected connection to the ancient history buried beneath the town. This reused stone links the building directly to Taormina's classical past.