Castellaccio di Monreale
The Castellaccio is a castle on the summit of Monte Caputo (766 meters above sea level) above Monreale .
history
The fort was built between 1174 and 1200 by Benedictine monks from Monreale as a lookout point and defensive post against attacks from the mountainous hinterland, which is barely controlled by the government.
description
The castle has a slightly irregular rectangular floor plan with a main extension roughly in the northwest-southeast direction. Of the four corner towers, the one in the north is the strongest. The two long sides are also provided with towers, the southwest side with two towers and the northeast side with one.
Inside, the former church extends along the south-eastern narrow side. In front of it is a large square courtyard, which was probably originally the cloister.
The rest of the castle contains smaller rooms that border the outer wall and are grouped around an inner courtyard.
literature
- Museum Without Borders (Ed.): Arab-Norman Art - Sicily's Culture in the Middle Ages . International cycle of exhibition streets Islamic Art in the Mediterranean, Ernst Wasmuth Verlag Tübingen Berlin, 2004, ISBN 3803041023
Web links
Coordinates: 38 ° 5 ′ 0.6 ″ N , 13 ° 16 ′ 29 ″ E