- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1239 · 13th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Style
- Gothic art
- Commissioned by
- Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
- Architect
- Riccardo da Lentini
- Coordinates
- 37.4990°, 15.0844°
History
Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen had the castle in Catania built in 1239–1250 to secure his hold on Sicily, with Riccardo da Lentini in charge of the works. The result was a square fortress with round corner towers, which then stood right on the seashore. In the 14th century the castle was one of the residences of the Aragonese kings of Sicily. In 1669 a great eruption of Etna flooded the area with lava, which surrounded the castle and pushed the coastline far from its walls. It later served as barracks and a prison, among other uses, and since 1934 it has housed the city museum.
What to see
The dark castle of volcanic stone now stands well inside the city, ringed by a square and a moat, and congealed lava is still visible at the foot of its walls. The Civic Museum displays ancient sculpture, mosaics and ceramics from the collections of the Princes of Biscari and the Benedictines, as well as painting from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. Gothic vaulted halls survive inside.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q1048850
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