Montechiaro Castle

Palma di Montechiaro, Italy

The Castle of Palma de Montechiaro was built in 1353. It is the only castle of the Chiaramonte family that is situated at the seaside, on a cliff known as the Bay of the Sirens. It was founded by Frederick III Chiaramonte, then transferred to his successors Manfredi II, I and Andrea, who beheaded him. His possessions were seized and the ownership of the castle was transferred to the family Caro, who erased the memory of the previous gentlemen, changing its name into Montechiaro. Francesca Caro married Carlo Tomasi, the Duke of Palma and Prince of Lampedusa. The last owner with the name Tomasi was the author of the famous novel The Leopard, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa.

You can reach the castle via a steep pebbly road full of pebbles. The ground floor houses the chapel with a marble statue of the Madonna di Montechiara designed by Antonello Gaginis.

References:

myguidesicily.com

Address

Strada Provinciale 84 22, Palma di Montechiaro, Italy

See all sites in Palma di Montechiaro

Details

Founded: 1353
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

More Information

www.myguidesicily.com

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

András Balogh (8 months ago)
A charming little castle that we discovered during a motorboat ride, and then we had brunch beside the view. Beneath it, there's a beach that wasn't crowded; whether it can be easily approached, I don't know. I love castles, it brought a smile to my face.

Martin Miler (15 months ago)
I'm passing by to have a look. The castle's rusty locks indicate that the castle has been closed for a long time.

A Szmit (2 years ago)
Nice castle above nice beach good for swimming

Jakub (2 years ago)
Lovely views from up there.

Eleonora Georgieva (2 years ago)
Beautiful views

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historical Gems of Costa Verde

Photo from Flickr, copyright Mark1792

Historic Site of the week

Rosenborg Castle

Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.

The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.

Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.