Collesano Castle
Davide Mauro - CC4.0
Collesano Castle, located north of the town, is an ancient fortress dating back to the first decades of the 1100s. The castle is now reduced to a state of ruins: only the north-east tower remains visible, next to the current entrance and partially incorporated in structures of the modern age.
The date of construction of the castle is not known with certainty but it is believed that the first nucleus arose in the Norman era at the behest of the Countess Adelasia del Vasto. The structure was then enlarged during the 12th century, when the village of Golisano was founded here on the orders of King Roger II, who transferred the inhabited center to the summit of Monte d'Oro. The Castle was then destroyed by the earthquake of 1693, rebuilt and inhabited during the eighteenth century and used as a prison until 1819.
The Castle has a quadrangular plan with massive perimeter walls.
Access to the castle is via a open vaulted access along the north side, in correspondence with the current Vicolo Castello, and leads into the large internal courtyard, originally enclosed within four corner towers. Of the four towers, only one has come down to our days, although this has been considerably remodeled.
From the courtyard you can enjoy a highly suggestive panorama that ranges from the ruins of the castle, to the relief of Monte d'Oro and the open valley below on the Tyrrhenian Sea.
