Medieval castles in Sicily
Grifeo Castle
The Grifeo Castle in Partanna is the well-preserved example of medieval castle built along the western part of Sicily. It was built in 1076 by Roger II against Arabs. The castle has been designed by the architect Perbono Calandrino who characterised the building with amazing towers and gardens. It was a home of the Princes Grifeo for about nine centuries. Today the castle is a museum that displays lots of ancient master ...
Founded: 1076 |
Location:
Partanna, Italy
Eufemio Castle
Eufemio Castle is mentioned in several historical sources, the oldest dating back to the first decades of the 12th century. It was described as an important place for the old town, thanks to its strategic position. In the 13th century, the importance of the Eufemio Castle grew considerably, as it was one of the main ones imperial castles of the reign of Frederick II of Swabia, whose guards guarded him during the battle ag ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Calatafimi-Segesta, Italy
Siculiana Castle
The Chiaramonte Castle of Siculiana, situated in thehomonymous town, is a rich and splendid architectural monument. It was built on the top of a headland, probably seat of the ancient cena. The castle dominated, with its towers, the village and the valley that lies gently on the Mediterranean sea. The origin of the fortress is Arab. The ancient arab castle was rebuilt in 1314, by order of Federico Chiaramonte. In 1311 Co ...
Founded: 14th century |
Location:
Siculiana, Italy
Branciforti Castle
The monumental complex of the Branciforti Castle is located at the highest point of the village of Raccuja to dominate the whole valley. It dates back to the Norman era, even if its origins are to be found between the Roman and the Arab ages. Over the centuries the Castle was subjected to numerous changes, the most important of which dates back to 1200s when the entire building passed under the ownership of Baron Orioles. ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Raccuja, Italy
Favara Castle
Built in the 13th century by the Chiaramonte family, the Favara castle is of particular interest because it represents the transitional phase between castle and palace. The Palace, as it is in fact commonly called because of the square arrangement of its various parts, recalls the typical lay-out of the Swabian castles that sprang up in eastern Sicily and may be compared with the palacia or solacia built by King Frederick ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Favara, Italy
Caltavuturo Castle
Caltavuturo Castle clings to the top of the hill called Terravecchia, overlooking the modern small town to the north. It was originally the city"s medieval core, completely abandoned for a different site (that of the modern town) only in modern times. The origins date from the Arab period. Some massive parts of the walls remain, being a curtain wall of quadrangular plan and another semi-cylindrical tower to prot ...
Founded: 9th century AD |
Location:
Caltavuturo, Italy
Castello dell'Emiro
Castello dell"Emiro ('Castle of the Emir') was founded by emir Jafar II (998–1019). Today it lies in ruins.
Founded: c. 1000 AD |
Location:
Misilmeri, Italy
Venetico Castle
Venetico castle was built by Spadafora family in the late 15th century. It was used as a residence until 1908, when the massive earthquake destroed the castle.
Founded: 15th century |
Location:
Venetico Superiore, Italy
Mazzarino Castle
Mazzarino Castle origins are unknown, but it was mentioned the late 13th century as a residence of Lods and Counts of Mazzarino. Today curtain walls and remains of two towers exist.
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Mazzarino, Italy
Santapau Castle
Santapau Castle was first time documented in 1274, but it was fortified already in the Byzantine era. After the old castle was destroyed by Arabs, it was rebuilt during the age of Charles I of Anjou. It was destroyed by the massive earthquake in 1693, today some remains of towers and undeground structures remain.
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Licodia Eubea, Italy
Castroreale Castle
The round tower is the last remain of a Castroreale Castle, built by Frederick II of Aragon in 1324. The name Castroreale comes from Latin, and means 'royal fortress'.
Founded: 1324 |
Location:
Castroreale, Italy
Pietrarossa Castle
The Castle of Pietrarossa ('Red Stone Castle'), built using, as its name suggests, largely red stones, dominates the city and the whole Salso River valley from the edge of the ravine upon which it stands. The originsa castle remain unknown. It is presumed to have been built in the 9th century, but there are some historians who claim that it was built by the Sicani, a people that was present in Sicily in the 8th ...
Founded: 8th-9th century AD |
Location:
Caltanissetta, Italy
Colombaia Castle
According to several historical documents, the fortifications in Colombaia island were built first time around the 260 BC, During the first Punic war. The Roman army tried several times to conquer this island, succeeding only in 247 BC, although they left it shortly after and left the territory totally in disuse, with the Castle of the Dovecote which quickly became a nest of doves that would have given way to the pagan wo ...
Founded: 1280 |
Location:
Trapani, Italy
Punta Troia Castle
Around 1140 Roger II, King of Sicily, transformed the old Saracen tower of Punta Troia in a real castle in defense of western end of the richest and most powerful kingdom in the Mediterranean at that time. In subsequent periods Swabian domination, Angevin and Aragonese Marettimo followed the fate of Sicily, accentuating an isolation that had its peak during the long Spanish rule, when the western part of the island becam ...
Founded: c. 1140 |
Location:
Favignana, Italy
Luna Castle
The majestic medieval castle of Sciacca was built in 1382 at the wishes of Guglielmo Peralta, count of Caltabellotta, who became one of the four vicars of the kingdom of Sicily after the death of king Fredrik the III. The castle was passed down to the counts of Luna when, after the death of Nicolò Peralta (son of Guglielmo) one of his three daughters, Margherita, married count Artale of Luna, a Catalan and uncle of king ...
Founded: 1382 |
Location:
Sciacca, Italy
Mussomeli Castle
Mussomeli Castle is a magic and evocative palace where it is possible to enjoy a breathtaking view of the coastline. Built in 1370 by Manfredi Chiaramonte III, this Norman-Gothic castle stands in a strategic position overlooking the whole valley as it is on top of a high limestone crag almost 800 meters above sea level. The Mussomeli Castle has not undergone radical changes throughout its history therefore you can get ...
Founded: 1370 |
Location:
Mussomeli, Italy
Gela Castle
The Castelluccio ('Small Castle') of Gela was built around 1143 by the Count of Butera. It is located 10 km from the city.
Founded: c. 1143 |
Location:
Gela, Italy
Poggiodiana Castle
The remains of Poggiodiana Castle, or Misilcassino Castle, of Ribera are constituted by part of the perimeter walls and two towers, a quadrangular portion and a cylindrical, 25 meters in height and about 30 meters in circumference, of particular interest for the characteristic crowning corbels. Developed in about 3000 m² with an irregular plan, from the north side svettava on a precipice of over 300 meters, at the foot ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Ribera, Italy
Rufo Ruffo Castle
The Rufo Ruffo Castle of Zanclea can easily be seen from the surrounding area. This fortress was built on top of a precipitous hill surrounded by green valleys from where you can overlook out on the sea. There was no architectural design planned therefore the castle was built with limestone rocks arranged in no rigorous way and solely based on the geographical locatio making it a challenge. The castle was built in the ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Scaletta Superiore, Italy
Calatubo Castle
The origins of the Calatubo Castle date back to some years before 1093, the year in which Roger I of Sicily defined the boundaries of the diocese of Mazara that included 'Calatubo with all its dependencies'. In ancient times, around the castle there was the village of Calatubo, which based its business on the extraction of stones for water and wind mills from the quarries around the creek Finocchio, as mentione ...
Founded: 11th century |
Location:
Alcamo, Italy