Ursino Castle
The Castello Ursino is a castle in Catania , founded by Emperor Friedrich II in the 13th century. The name castrum ursinum has been documented since 1255 ("Bärenkastell", ursus "Bär").
history
The Ursino Castle was built by Riccardo da Lentini between 1239 and 1250 by order of Emperor Frederick II on the foundations of a Norman fortification of the port of Catania. The similarity in the ground plan of the fort in Catania with the other Frederician fortresses in Sicily such as the fort Maniace in Syracuse and the fort in Augusta is obvious.
architecture
The Castello Ursino has a square floor plan in which four wings are grouped around an inner courtyard. The three halls per wing and the four corner halls were closed at the top by large ribbed vaults with the "box ribs" traceable to Cistercian origins ( Clairvaux Monastery ) (only partially preserved). Four large round corner towers and originally also four semicircular towers in the middle of each lateral outer wall (only two have survived) contribute to the massive exterior impression. In addition to the two upper floors today, a third was probably originally added, which - as the findings in other Frederician castles suggest - was demolished at the time of the Spanish rule in order to provide less surface for attacks with cannons. With three upper floors, the fort originally had significantly steeper proportions that came close to the French models ( donjons ), as they were built under the contemporary of Frederick II, the French King Philip II August. The same applies to the Castello Maniace in Syracuse and the Castello d'Augusta in Augusta , but ultimately also to Castel del Monte , the main work of Frederician architecture.
The Sicilian Vespers
The castle played an important role in the Sicilian Vespers when the castle was the seat of the Sicilian parliament. In 1295 this parliament met to remove James II from office and to appoint Frederick II as king.
The decline
After the 16th century, with the introduction of ignition powder, the fort was relieved of its military role and used as a prison . The eruption of Mount Etna in 1669 destroyed the city, but not the fort. The lava flowed around the fort and it has been several hundred meters inland since then.
present
Acquired by the city of Catania in 1932, the castle was restored and opened to the public as a museum in 1934.
The Museo Civico (Municipal Museum)
The museum has a rich collection of works of art from antiquity to the present day. The outstanding collection of ancient sculptures and bronzes is shown in the large halls on the ground floor.
Web links
- Itinerari culturali del medioevo siciliano: Castello Ursino (Italian)
- History of the fort (at icastelli.it )
Coordinates: 37 ° 29 '56.4 " N , 15 ° 5' 4.6" E