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Castel Sant'Angelo (Licata)
Castel Sant'Angelo, also known as Forte Sant'Angelo, is a fort in Licata, Sicily. It was originally built as a watchtower in the 1580s, and was expanded into a fort between 1615 and 1640. Today, the fort is in good condition and is open to the public. Castel Sant'Angelo is located on the top of Monte Sant'Angelo, a hill above sea level, overlooking the city to the north and its harbour to the south. Several archaeological sites, including remains of a Hellenistic settlement, can be found in the area. History The first fortification to be built on Monte Sant'Angelo was a watchtower, which was constructed between 1583 and 1585 on the orders of Viceroy Marcantonio Colonna. The tower was designed by the military engineer Camillo Camilliani. In 1615, Hernando Petigno, the general commander of the Royal Cavalry of Sicily and Military Governor of Syracuse, began building a fort on the site, incorporating the tower as the fort's keep. Construction was halted, but it was resumed in 1636 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Licata
Licata (, ; grc, Φιντίας, whence la, Phintias or ''Plintis''), formerly also Alicata (), is a city and ''comune'' located on the south coast of Sicily, at the mouth of the Salso River (the ancient ''Himera''), about midway between Agrigento and Gela. It is a major seaport developed at the turn of the twentieth century, shipping sulphur, the refining of which has made Licata the largest European exporting centre, and asphalt, and at times shipping cheese. West of the port city there is a series of pocket beaches separated by wave-cut headlands as high as . (Amore 2002). History Ancient The settlement was frequented by the Phoenicians who traded there between the 12th and 8th centuries BC. At the end of the 7th century BC the Geloi (inhabitants of ancient Gela) built a fortified station to guard the mouth of the Salso (''Himera'') river. In the first half of 6th century BC Phalaris, tyrant of Agrigento, built a fortified outpost. The first settlement was probably ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
