Pantelleria Castle

Pantelleria, Italy

The foundation of the castle on the island of Pantelleria can possibly traced back to the Arab or Byzantine period in Sicily, even if it is not attested with certainty before the 13th century.

The Castello Barbacane is located in the centre of Pantelleria town at the entrance of the old harbour and is accessed via a staircase from the Via Castello. It was a bulwark to protect the maritime trade of the island, facing the harbour on one side and walls lapped by the sea on the other side. Until just over a century ago, the castle was the predominant element of the walled city

The castle is well preserved and worth a visit.

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Address

Piazzale Vincenzo Almanza 14, Pantelleria, Italy
See all sites in Pantelleria

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

More Information

www.myguidesicily.com

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Antonio Di Mauro (12 months ago)
An excellent defensive architectural example, in the splendid medieval setting, located on the panoramic seafront. Worth a visit, twice in a row I found it closed despite no warning. The patio of the entrance covered with garbage. A tourist resource of this magnitude, it would deserve more attention from local administrators and its Superintendency.
Luigi Dalli Cani (13 months ago)
Beautiful
daniela giannone (13 months ago)
Closed this year ... And it was a shame. It is a magical place, where music, art, readings and ... Goblets of Stars took place every year
Davide Sette (14 months ago)
Majestic!
Ryan Khopatkar (15 months ago)
Archaeological exploration has unearthed dwellings and artifacts 35,000 years old. The original population of Pantelleria did not come from Sicily, but were of Iberian or Ibero-Ligurian stock. After a considerable interval, during which the island probably remained uninhabited, the Carthaginians took possession of it, no doubt owing to its importance as a station on the way to Sicily. This probably occurred around the beginning of the 7th century BC. Their acropolis was the twin hill of San Marco and Santa Teresa, 2 km (1.2 mi) south of the present town of Pantelleria. The town has considerable remains of walls made of rectangular blocks of masonry and also of a number of cisterns. Punic tombs have been discovered, and the votive terra-cottas of a small sanctuary of the Punic period were found near the north coast.Pantelleria (Italian pronunciation: [pantelleˈriːa];[3]), the ancient Cossyra or Cossura, is an Italian island and comune in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Sicily and 60 km (37 mi) east of the Tunisian coast. On clear days Tunisia is visible from the island. Administratively Pantelleria's comune belongs to the Sicilian province of Trapani.
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