Lanza Branciforte Castle in Trabia
The Lanza Branciforte Castle in Trabia is the symbol of the village. The origins and name of Trabia are inextricably linked to this manor.
The castle stands outside the town centre, close to the sea, the place where, in 827 AD, general Aausman Ben Muhammad and 600 men from the province of 'Ifriqyia built the fortress At Tarbiq in order to lay siege to the city of Termini Imerese. In the 16th century the castle passed into the hands of Prince Giuseppe Blasco Lanza di Trabia. His son Cesare is known to have killed his daughter Laura Lanza La Grua, baroness of Carini. In 1633, when Ottavio Lancia founded the town of Trabia, he surrounded the manor with solid walls. It was later used by the heirs for tuna processing.
The 50 x 50 m square footprint of the castle gave rise to the very name of the village of Trabia. In the courtyard there is a cylindrical tower, the first nucleus of the complex, of modest proportions, with a circular section and interrupted in height by rectangular windows and a centuries-old ficus, the tallest and oldest in Sicily. The castle has large terraces overlooking the gulf of Termini Imerese, with crenellated walls surrounding the internal courtyard.
Today the castle is used as a location for events.
