Chiaramonte Castle in Siculiana
The Chiaramonte Castle in Siculiana is a fortress that stands on the crest of a rocky promontory dominating the town and the entire Chiaramonte valley which lies on the Mediterranean sea.
The castle, of Arab origin, was rebuilt in early 14th century at the behest of Federico Chiaramonte, appointed baron of Siculiana. It passed into the hands of the various barons of Siculiana: the last baron of Siculiana recognized by royal decree was Antonio Bonanno Perez in 1899. At the beginning of the last century the castle was purchased by the Agnello-Alfani family who demolished the Quarto Nobile< /em>, the wing of greatest artistic interest of the castle, where they built a sumptuous villa in neo-Gothic style. Today the castle is privately owned and is used as a location for events.
The castle was an impregnable fortress: its walls, once crenellated, fell sheer to the edge of the rock.
All that remains of the original structure only the western part where the service rooms once used as warehouses, stables and a church first dedicated to San Lorenzo and then to the Madonna degli Angeli are located. The church was the first place of worship of the SS. Crucifix, which is today kept in the town's sanctuary of the same name.
In the remaining part of the fortress there are two longitudinal bodies converging to form an internal courtyard, built along the edges of the rocky ridge. In the middle of the parade ground there is a deep cistern, still intact today, which was used to store rainwater, vital in the event of a siege.
