Mategriffon
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Mategriffon or Matagrifone or Mathegriffon or Rocca Guelfonia was a medieval castle in
Messina Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...
,
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
, located in what is today Viale Principe Umberto. Its strategic position upon a rocky hill close to the historic city centre gave a commanding view of the harbour and Strait of Messina. In the 19th century it was converted into a prison. Prior to its destruction in the 1908 earthquake it comprised a square dungeon with ramparts and reinforced by polygonal towers. Only an octagonal tower remains standing and is incorporated into the 20th century Shrine of Christ the King church, a visible Messina landmark which dominates its skyline. The name Matagrifone signifies "Greek killers" or "kill-Greeks" due to the population of Messina having been predominantly of Greek ancestry.The Castle - Federico itinerari dello stupore. www.federicoitineraridellostupore.it. Retrieved on 21-6-22


History


Medieval

Matagrifone was initially constructed as a wooden fortress in 1061 by the Norman adventurer
Robert Guiscard Robert Guiscard (; Modern ; – 17 July 1085) was a Norman adventurer remembered for the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily. Robert was born into the Hauteville family in Normandy, went on to become count and then duke of Apulia and Calabri ...
, Lord of Sicily. It was upgraded in 1190 by Richard I, king of England during his sojourn in Messina as part of his journey to the Holy Land in the
Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...
. He ordered its partial demolition before he departed in 1191 for the conquest of Cyprus. In 1240 King
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (German language, German: ''Friedrich''; Italian language, Italian: ''Federico''; Latin: ''Federicus''; 26 December 1194 – 13 December 1250) was King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Em ...
ordered the rebuilding of the castle in limestone. Documents of the period refer to a ''Castrum novum''. It later passed to the Angevin dynasty. In the aftermath of the
Sicilian Vespers The Sicilian Vespers ( it, Vespri siciliani; scn, Vespiri siciliani) was a successful rebellion on the island of Sicily that broke out at Easter 1282 against the rule of the French-born king Charles I of Anjou, who had ruled the Kingdom of S ...
, the royal vicar Herbert of Orleans together with his family and the supporters of King Charles I of Naples took refuge in the castle which was besieged and damaged by the angry ''Messinese'' mob led by Alaimo da Lentini. However they were given safe conduct to leave the castle which was subsequently repaired. After the Angevins were driven out of Sicily, Matagrifone came under control of the new ruling dynasty, the House of Aragon. It became the residence of Queen Constance, consort of
Peter III Peter III may refer to: Politics * Peter III of Bulgaria (ruled in 1072) * Peter III of Aragon (1239–1285) * Peter III of Arborea (died 1347) * Peter III Aaron (died 1467) * Pedro III of Kongo (ruler in 1669) * Peter III of Russia (1728–1762) * ...
at the end of the 13th century. In February 1285, Baroness
Macalda di Scaletta , spouse-type = , issue = {{plainlist, *Tommaso, *Alanfranco (second marriage) , issue-link = , issue-pipe = , full name = , styles = , titles = , noble family = Lenti ...
, wife of Alaimo da Lentini, and her children were imprisoned in Matagrifone Castle by the orders of King Peter. It was there she became acquainted with another prisoner, the Tunisian emir Margam Ibn Sebir of Djerba, with whom she passed the time playing chess. According to historian Santi Correnti she was the first Sicilian woman to play the game."La Sicilia dei seicento, società e cultura". Correnti, Santi. Milan. Mursia (1976). pp.216-217 In the late 15th century the castle was enlarged by King
Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II ( an, Ferrando; ca, Ferran; eu, Errando; it, Ferdinando; la, Ferdinandus; es, Fernando; 10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), also called Ferdinand the Catholic (Spanish: ''el Católico''), was King of Aragon and Sardinia from ...
whose inscription was written in Latin in 1496 on the eastern side of the extant tower.


Modern era

The 16th century saw extensive fortifications added to the castle. In October 1535 following his conquest of Tunisia, Emperor Charles V made a triumphal visit to Messina where he stopped at Matagrifone Castle as part of his inspection of the city's fortresses."Carlo V al castello di Matagrifone - Rievocazione storica". Tempo Stretto. 21 Ottobre 2021.www. tempostretto.it.Retrieved on 22-6-22 Over the following centuries it was a focal point of a number of rebellions against the ruling Spanish by the populace of Messina. Having suffered damage in the 1783 earthquake, in 1838 it was converted into a
Bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * A beer produced by Bras ...
prison which came under attack a decade later in the 1848 anti-Bourbon insurrection. The prison was described as having been "la prigione più dura e inospitale della città" (the toughest and most inhospitable prison in the city")."Luogo segreti (e non) nel cuore della città: sui passi delle carcere borboniche Messinesi.www.universome.eu. 13 October 2020. Retrieved on 22-6-22 Matagrifone was almost completely destroyed in the catastrophic earthquake which struck Messina on 28 December 1908. Only an octagonal tower remains of the castle today, known locally as "Macalda's Tower", along with remnants of the bastion's walls and a 16th century entrance. It is surmounted by a 130 quintal bell made in 1935 from the melted bronze of enemy cannons. That same year the Shrine of Christ the King church and war memorial was built upon the castle ruins into which the tower is incorporated.


Places with the same name

Mattegriffon was also an alternative name to the castle of Akova in the Peloponnese, which formed the seat of the Barony of Akova within the Principality of Achaea in the 13th and the 14th centuries.Voula Konti, BYZANTINA SYMMEIKTA, ΣΥΜΜΕΙΚΤΑ 6, ΣΥΜΒΟΛΗ ΣΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΚΗ ΓΕΩΓΡΑΦΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΑΡΚΑΔΙΑΣ (395-1209) (Contribution to the Historical Geography of Arcadia 395-1209), page 95


References

{{Messina Castles in Sicily Buildings and structures in Messina History of chess Buildings and structures demolished in the 12th century Demolished buildings and structures in Italy