Castelluccio of Gela
The Swabian Castle of Gela , also known as Castelluccio di Gela , stands on a chalk hill and dominates the coast to defend the city.
The first historical documents which attest the existence of the castle dates back to 1143, when Count Simone di Butera donated the castle to the abbot of the Monastery of San Nicolò l'Arena in Catania.
The castle was built using yellow limestone and large blocks of white limestone that gives the entire structure a really pleasant and impressive appearance, it is also devoid of decorations and battlements. The plan of the Castle is rectangular, with thick walls and two powerful ones, closed at the ends by two towers with a square base. To the south there is the presence of a third tower which, however, is believed to have been built in its entirety during the restorations of the 1990s. Originally the western tower, containing a cistern for rainwater and a residential room with latrine, protected a lower entrance, while the other tower still houses a chapel carved into a wall.
The castle, probably, it was organized on several floors due to the double row of windows visible from the outside. The interior was divided by five pointed arches placed transversely, which supported the roof, but over time the building has suffered numerous damages and losses. During the restorations of the 1990s, a portion of the wall collapsed due to structural failure was refurbished and a steel frame was added to make the top part of the fort accessible.
The castle hides a tunnel that connects it to the city of Gela, to the Church of San Benedetto called "A Batia".
A curious legend is linked to the castle.
