Santapau Castle in Licodia Eubea
The Santapau Castle dominates the village of Licodia Eubea. Destroyed by the catastrophic earthquake of 1693, it is today reduced to ruins: only a few towers, the basement and fragments of walls remain in the small plateau at the top of the hill. The large underground area, probably the largest in Sicily, is an intricate network of tunnels used over the centuries for different purposes. The place is still full of charm and charm today and offers a beautiful view of the town and the surrounding valleys.
The Castle owes its name to the family that owned it until the end of the fourteenth century: the Santapau family of origin Catalana.
The origins of the castle are very ancient. Archaeological excavations have revealed that this place was already inhabited at the time of the Bronze Age, four thousand years ago. The construction type of the walls and the technique used for the construction of the gallery located under the castle, the presence of clay bricks fired according to techniques used in late Roman architecture, place the construction of the castle in the Byzantine era. It is also believed that the castle was destroyed by the Arabs and rebuilt under the reign of Frederick II in 1269.
The castle was a defensive stronghold equipped with mighty walls and six cylindrical towers. It had an irregular plan that adapted to the extension of the plateau, residential and underground environments.
Part of the defensive walls and the lower part of the towers are still visible today.
