Fortino di Mazzallakkar

Sambuca di Sicilia, Italy

The Fortino di Mazzallakkar is a ruined Arab fort in Sambuca di Sicilia. It is located near Lago Arancio, and is partially submerged by its waters for six months of every year.

The Fortino di Mazzallakkar was built by the Arabs in around 830 AD, possibly to defend the territory around Sambuca di Sicilia, which was then known as Zabut.

The fort was still in good condition until the mid-20th century, and it was used as a shelter for sheep and cattle. In the 1950s, the Carboj dam was built, causing the flooding of Lago Arancio. The fort is located at the edge of the lake, and is partially submerged around 6 months of the year. This has caused a lot of damage to the fort.

The fort is privately owned, and can be visited on request.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 830 AD
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

3.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

benedetto casanovi (3 years ago)
The place deserves, there is no path to get there, you have to go through the vineyards, but thanks to my drone I was able to take some photos and filming, I had to take a nice ride at a certain point the road stops .... (missing).
Vincenzo F. (3 years ago)
Charming fort. To reach it you have to set as your destination "Spazio Iter Vitis", park them and cross the rows of vineyards. At that height there is a cut in the net that allows you to reach the shores of the lake.
Otiv (3 years ago)
The Sicilian roads are pitiful and those around Lake Arancio are no exception, I tried to get to the fort from the south side but at one point a gate prevented me from continuing, I tried from the north but at one point I found a collapsed bridge over the Rincione river and I gave up. However, when I got home, I realized that I had to continue another 100 meters on my last road to find a bridge over the Rincione river that was active. I captured the images from the opposite side of the lake. Too bad, I would have liked to see up close. Fascinating
Giuseppe Costa (5 years ago)
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Visby Cathedral

Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.

Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.