CASTIGLIONE
DI SICILIA
Castiglione
di Sicilia is a city at 621m a.s.l. set on a rocky spur overlooking
the Alcantara Valley. It totals some 5,000 inhabitants.
THE
CITY
The
Mother Church – The tour of the city can begin with the Mother
Church, dedicated to Saint Peter. It has a latin-cross plan divided
into three naves with polychrome marbles. Several worth-seeing pieces
of art adorn it, like the three paintings of San Biagio, the Virgin
and the Adultera, a precious sundial and a wooden Holy Crucifix.
Its concave façade is complete with a campanile made of lava
stone. The chancel contains a fine wooden organ.
Minor
churches and surroundings – The city is home to other worth-mentioning
places such as the Church of the Benedictine Sisters, the church
of Sant’Antonio and the 1700’s church of the Madonna
della Catena.
Castel
Leone – The Leone Castle, today reduced to few ruins, dominates
the small town. Nestled atop a high rocky spur, it served as a guarding
post since the antiquity. It offers a beautiful sight of the town
and the Etna volcano. To the East, the remains of a fortress of
the 8th century BC are visible.
The
city has a Medieval design, surviving a terrible earthquake in 1693
and characterized by narrow streets around the main square Piazza
Lauria. The bridge over the Alcantara River is of the same epoch,
hence called Ponte Medievale.
The
remains of a 7th-9th century Byzantine Church called “Cuba”
are located off town, along the way to Mojo Alcantara.
HISTORY
Founded by refugees from Naxos in
496 BC, Castiglione di Sicilia was destroyed by the troops of Syracusan
tyrant Dionysius I. It was successively ruled by the Roman, the
Byzantine, the Norman and the Swabian. During the Middle Age, it
was a feudal belonged to Roger of Lauria.
A number of relics scattered throughout
its territory testify to its ancient past. Among these are the ruins
of a Greek acropolis, of a small Byzantine temple, of a Saracen
tower and of a Norman castle.
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