The Castello di Caccamo ( en, Caccamo Castle) is a castle in

Caccamo Caccamo (Sicilian language, Sicilian: ''Càccamu'') is a town and ''comune'' located on the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily in the Metropolitan City of Palermo. History The official founding of Caccamo was not until 1093, when the No ...

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

. It is among the largest and best preserved Norman castles in Sicily, and one of the largest in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. The castle is built on a steep cliff, 521 metres above sea level. It overlooks the surrounding countryside, including the San Leonardo River Valley, and the Rosmarina artificial lake.

History

The castle as it is today was built by Matthew Bonnellus in the 12th century. It was later modified by the

Chiaramonte The Chiaramonte are a noble family of Sicily. They became the most powerful and wealthy family in Sicily. In the 13th century the marriage of Manfredi Chiaramonte to Isabella Mosca, united the two Sicilian counties of Modica and Ragusa. Aro ...

s in the 14th century, and by other rulers until the 17th century. The castle is a large structure built of white stone, having an irregular plan. It has walls with V-shaped

battlements A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

, towers, a moat and a courtyard. The interior consists of a maze of rooms and stairways. The most notable room within the castle is the ''Sala della Congiura'', also known as the Conspiracy Hall. In 1160, some Norman barons met in this room to plot against

William I of Sicily William I (1120 or 1121May 7, 1166), called the Bad or the Wicked ( scn, Gugghiermu lu Malu), was the second king of Sicily, ruling from his father's death in 1154 to his own in 1166. He was the fourth son of Roger II of Sicily, Roger II and Elvi ...

, but the rebellion failed. Parts of the castle collapsed in an earthquake in 1923. The castle was inhabited by descendants of the Dukes of Caccamo until it was purchased by the Region of Sicily in October 1963. By this time, the castle was in ruins. Restoration work funded by the Region of Sicily began in 1974.

Present day

Today, the castle is open to the public. A restaurant called ''A Castellana'' is located on the ground level of the castle, while other parts of the structure are also used for conferences and meetings.

References

External links

{{commons category
Photo gallery at palermonelmedioevo.com

Buildings and structures in the Province of Palermo Buildings and structures completed in the 12th century Norman architecture in Italy Caccamo