Tower of Frederick II in Enna
The Tower of Frederick II of Enna is one of the best preserved Frederick's monuments in Italy.
According to tradition, the tower was designed at the court of Frederick II of Swabia , designed by Riccardo da Lentini and was also used as the summer residence of the Swabian emperor, during his stays in Sicily. Its origins have been dated to around the middle of the 13th century, which confirms the thesis that it was the Swabian Frederick who wanted it. Furthermore, the unmistakable geometric layout that also characterizes other fortifications built by Frederick II of Swabia, represents a further data in support of this thesis.
The tower, 27 meters high, has an octagonal plan. It stands on top of a tree-lined hill on the plateau of the city of Enna. Some sources claim that the tower may have been an ancient astronomical-geodetic observatory. Its octagonal shape derives from the rotation of a square for 45 ° and represents the Rose of the Winds. The tower is built on the model of the Norman "dungeon", widespread on the island, and has two large rooms inside: one on the ground floor and one on the first floor, with high ceilings with cross vaults like the large ribbed umbrella vaults. To connect the two rooms to each other there is a spiral staircase carved into the very thick walls of the tower, which reaches the top. The tree-lined space around it is used as a municipal public garden.
