Rufo Ruffo Castle in Scaletta Superiore
Pappalardo Rosario - CC3.0
The castle of Scaletta Zanclea, also known as Castello Rufo Ruffo, perched on the highest point of a cliff, dominates the medieval village of Scaletta Superiore.
It was built in 1220 at the behest of Emperor Frederick II of Swabia as a defense tool and stately home, and granted by him in custody to Matteo Selvaggio. Subsequently, various families took turns in the property and, in 1969, Sigerio Ruffo donated it to the municipality.
The building has a trapezoidal layout and a high verticality of the walls interrupted by elegant mullioned windows. The interior has large, well-lit rooms with high barrel vaults, which demonstrates how the castle served as a defensive bulwark as well as an elegant residence.
On the eastern side of the fortress, some guns can be seen, installed in the 1600s , which made the coast invulnerable.
