Luna Castle, Sciacca, Italy - SpottingHistory.com

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 Martino.

The castle rises from its dominating position, in the high up, east part of the city, and is located within the perimeters of the ancient walls, that still exist in part today.It is tied to the “Caso di Sciacca”, the century-long bloody battle between the Catalan house of Luna and the Norman house of Perollo, in conflict over a secret love, that of Giovanni Perollo for Margherita, wife of Don Artale Luna, but also for political and economic interests.

References:

distrettoturisticoselinuntino.it

User Reviews

Micky Gliese (13 months ago)
Good information about Sciacca

Ke WU (2 years ago)
Missing explanation

Sergey R (2 years ago)
Pretty underappreciated place with small amounts of tourists! A very nice view from the castle walls! You can make great photos from there! The castle itself is pretty much in ruins, but there is a tower still standing with some historical and recreated weaponry and armor. I also liked the recounting of the castle's past, which you can read at the entrance.

Daniel Clarke (3 years ago)
Small castle but worth a quick visit. There are a number of small displays (the male chastity belt will raise eyebrows) and it has excellent views of the sea.

Daniel Wright (3 years ago)
Nice place to see if you are in the area, would not travel to see it alone as it takes 20 minutes or so to go around

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Château de Falaise is best known as a castle, where William the Conqueror, the son of Duke Robert of Normandy, was born in about 1028. William went on to conquer England and become king and possession of the castle descended through his heirs until the 13th century when it was captured by King Philip II of France. Possession of the castle changed hands several times during the Hundred Years' War. The castle was deserted during the 17th century. Since 1840 it has been protected as a monument historique.

The castle (12th–13th century), which overlooks the town from a high crag, was formerly the seat of the Dukes of Normandy. The construction was started on the site of an earlier castle in 1123 by Henry I of England, with the 'large keep' (grand donjon). Later was added the 'small keep' (petit donjon). The tower built in the first quarter of the 12th century contained a hall, chapel, and a room for the lord, but no small rooms for a complicated household arrangement; in this way, it was similar to towers at Corfe, Norwich, and Portchester, all in England. In 1202 Arthur I, Duke of Brittany was King John of England's nephew, was imprisoned in Falaise castle's keep. According to contemporaneous chronicler Ralph of Coggeshall, John ordered two of his servants to mutilate the duke. Hugh de Burgh was in charge of guarding Arthur and refused to let him be mutilated, but to demoralise Arthur's supporters was to announce his death. The circumstances of Arthur's death are unclear, though he probably died in 1203.

In about 1207, after having conquered Normandy, Philip II Augustus ordered the building of a new cylindrical keep. It was later named the Talbot Tower (Tour Talbot) after the English commander responsible for its repair during the Hundred Years' War. It is a tall round tower, similar design to the towers built at Gisors and the medieval Louvre.Possession of the castle changed hands several times during the Hundred Years' War. The castle was deserted during the 17th century. Since 1840, Château de Falaise has been recognised as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

A programme of restoration was carried out between 1870 and 1874. The castle suffered due to bombardment during the Second World War in the battle for the Falaise pocket in 1944, but the three keeps were unscathed.

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