Siculiana Castle

Siculiana, Italy

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 Costanza, Federico Chiaramonte’s only daughter, celebrated in the castle her second mariage. Her husband was the noble from Genoa Brancaleone Doria, who became Governor of Sardinia in 1335. Many mariages and noble agreements were celebrated in the castle, due to its splendor and to the belief that any celebration that took place on the “Rock of Siculiana”, was blessed.

In the late years of the 14th century, in the centre of Piazza d’Armi, a deep cistern was bored to gather and conserve rain water for daily use. A precious resource in case of siege, which you can still admire today. The Church of St. Lorenzo, in the south wing of the castle, is the most ancient of Siculiana, built during the 17th century.

During the ages, the castle became a prison. The last Baron of Siculiana was Antonio Perez. In the early years of the 20th century, the Baron agnello ordered the destruction of the “Forth Noble”, the most important artistic and historical part of the castle, to build a luxurious residence for himself.

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Address

Via Circonvallazione 44, Siculiana, Italy
See all sites in Siculiana

Details

Founded: 14th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

More Information

www.castellochiaramonte.it

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Gennaro De Marco (4 months ago)
Fantastic location, fabulous, delicious dishes. Courtesy of the staff and equipped for Gluten Free. The only drawback: only receptions, no classic restaurant ... shame because I would gladly go there with the family
Francesco Emanuele (4 months ago)
Simple amazing!
Marco Consiglio (Il Coinc) (4 months ago)
Excellent location and friendly staff
Francesca Pullara (5 months ago)
I recommend to all future spouses to make their dream come true in this enchanting castle .. There are kind and professional people. Lorenzo and Pietro, 2 people who love their work and it shows, they do it with passion .. Harmony and professionalism distinguish them .. We got married at the Chiaramonte park and it was magic. Very beautifull. Everything perfect .. Excellent food .. I could write endlessly but I suggest you try it for yourself ❤️Francesca and Giuseppe ❤️thanks again Lorenzo and Pietro and all the staff !!
Mady Betune (3 years ago)
promenade geocaching
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Glimmingehus

Glimmingehus is the best preserved medieval stronghold in Scandinavia. It was built 1499-1506, during an era when Scania formed a vital part of Denmark, and contains many defensive arrangements of the era, such as parapets, false doors and dead-end corridors, 'murder-holes' for pouring boiling pitch over the attackers, moats, drawbridges and various other forms of death traps to surprise trespassers and protect the nobles against peasant uprisings. The lower part of the castle's stone walls are 2.4 meters (94 inches) thick and the upper part 1.8 meters (71 inches).

Construction was started in 1499 by the Danish knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand and stone-cutter-mason and architect Adam van Düren, a North German master who also worked on Lund Cathedral. Construction was completed in 1506.

Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

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