Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, is an ancient land, rich in charm, history, art and culture. The island, bark between Europe and the Mediterranean, has always been full of castles. There are about 200 castles built by Swabians and noble families such as the Chiaramonte and the Ventimiglia. To discover the charm of a trip in the past, we suggest an itinerary: the five castles of Central Sicily.
- Castle of Sperlinga. Built on the rock overlooking the town of Sperlinga in the province of Enna, the medieval castle is dug into the sandstone rock, made from a single monolith over sacred temple caves dating to 4,000 years ago. It has a special construction in sandstone.
- Castello di Gagliano Castelferrato. Old documents attest that in their courts camped, in 263 BC, the camps of the Consuls Attilio Grasso and M.V. Massimo, after the conquest of Aderno and Centuripe. Quoted by Cicero on his trip to Sicily, the castle resided for a long time to the assaults of the Arabs.
- Castle of Lombardy. Considered one of the largest medieval castles of Italy, a symbol of the city of Enna, it owes its name to a garrison of Lombard soldiers in defense of the ancient fortress during the Norman domination of Sicily. The fortress allowed the town of Enna to take on a prominent role, becoming an excellent military stronghold so that the Romans had to pass through the sewer system to conquer it.
- Castle of Mussomeli. It was erected on a cliff between the 14th and 15th centuries by the Count of Modica, Manfredi III Chiaramonte, famous for the “Baroni Hall” inside the interior fence. Particularly also the “fireplace room” and the “dining room”, characterized by Gothic elements, and the “bedroom” of the Count, double cruise liner. To remember the so-called “death chamber,” with insidious jibs, the “three women’s room” and the feudal prison. Outside, there is the reception of the guard body and the chapel, dedicated first to St. George, the protector of the Chiaramonte, and to the Madonna of the Chain.
- Racalmuto Castle. It’s located in the heart of Racalmuto’s old town, in a medieval road. The planimetric plant is pentagonal with towers circular plant, it’s articulated on three elevations, repeating the same distribution pattern, consisting in the succession of intercommunication compartments that delimit an inner court.
Are you ready to discover an ancient and evocative world? Then wait, you only have to do two things: plan a small holiday, even off season, and book a seat on one of the ferries to Sicily.
Image Source: flickr.com/photos/133906253@N03
