The Castello di Caccamo () is a

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

Caccamo Caccamo ( Sicilian: ''Càccamu'') is a town and ''comune'' located on the Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily in the Metropolitan City of Palermo. History The official founding of Caccamo was not until 1093, when the Normans started to build the castle ...

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

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

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. 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 Chiaramontes 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 (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals t ...

, 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 1121 7 May 1166), called the Bad or the Wicked (), 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 and Elvira of Castile. William's title "the Bad" ...

, 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

Photo gallery at palermonelmedioevo.com
{{Authority control

Buildings and structures in the Metropolitan City of Palermo Buildings and structures completed in the 12th century Norman architecture in Italy Norman castles Caccamo