The castle of Scaletta Zanclea: history and charm near the sea of Sicily

Built on top of a rugged hill, in a strategic position. Today, it has the charm that centuries of history gave it. Scaletta Zanclea is the leg to discover the castles of Sicily.

The history

The castle of Scaletta Zanclea, though it is very old, had a fairly quiet history. The original part of the castle dates back to the Thirteenth Century, when it was used as a Swabian military outpost to defend the nearby Messina.

In the Fourteenth century it became a possession of Marchese family. Finally, in the Seventeenth century, it became the personal hunting lodge of Ruffo family.

The castle

The castle of Scaletta Zanclea is an imposing building with three floors. Built on the top of a hill, the fort looks towards the sea.

The most beautiful part of the castle is the fortified tower that was built in the Thirteenth century. Today, the fort is public property and it is used as cultural center. It houses a museum of weapons and ancient documents.

How to get there

Scaletta Zanclea is in the province of Messina. To get there from the city on the Strait:

• take the state highway 114 towards south
• once you are in Scaletta Marina, follow the road signs to Scaletta Zanclea

The journey by car takes about half an hour. Once you are in Scaletta Zanclea, you can reach the castle walking along stone step streets.

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Image source: “Scaletta Zanclea (ME) Castello” di Bandw di Wikipedia in italiano. Con licenza CC BY-SA 3.0 tramite Wikimedia Commons