Castellaccio in Aidone
SilviaB08 - CC4.0
The Castellaccio in Aidone is the name used to refer to the ruins of the ancient medieval castle of Aidone.
It stood in a strategic position, at the highest point of the city, overlooking the Gornalunga valley and enjoyed a 360° panoramic view that allowed visual control of the main communication routes of Central Sicily. It was probably part of a network of lookout fires with the castles of Enna, Agira and Pietratagliata.
It was built in the 11th century, in the Norman era, but it is believed that a pre-existing Saracen fortification stood in this same place. It plays an important role for the fiefdom of Aidone: in 1396 the royals Maria and Martino I of Sicily were hosted there; in May 1411 Bianca di Navarra dictated some letters to counter the enemy of the crown, Admiral Bernardo Cabrera; following the damage caused by the earthquake of 1693, the castle was abandoned.
Unfortunately, only ruins remain of what must have been a large and majestic fortified complex: it is still possible to observe, in an easterly direction, a portion of the wall with an entrance gate, and a large pile of ruins which is what appears to the visitor who reaches the site from the current Salita Castello. It is believed, given the layout of the ruins, that the castle was destroyed by a catastrophic event, probably the earthquake of 1693.
