Castle of Forza D'Agrò
The Argano Castle of Forza d'Agrò, symbol of the town of Forza d'Agrò, is a fortress located in the highest and most inaccessible place in the Valley, over 420 meters above sea level.
Its construction it was attributed to Count Roger the Norman, between the 11th and 12th centuries, who gave it the name of Fortilicium D'Agrò. It is believed that the fortress stands on the ruins of a pre-existing fortification and is accessed at the end of a long and steep stone staircase that climbs up close to the very steep cliff. The building has never been the residence of noble families but its role has always been that of a fortress, a place of defense and refuge.
The entrance to the castle is made up of stone blocks crowned by the gallery. On the architrave there is an inscription which recalls the renovation which took place in 1595 by the deputies and jurors of Forza.
Among the high walls stand the loopholes, the quarters for the soldiers and the remains of the church of the SS. Crucifix, from which the bell tower stands out. The Crucifix, once kept in the Church, was the only object left intact following the collapse of the church. The fact was considered miraculous and the crucifix was transferred to the cathedral to be better venerated. In an elevated space, near the church, with a shape similar to a cave, stands the powder magazine.
A popular tradition asserts that a dense network of secret passages was created in the castle that could find confirmation in the numerous caves present on the sides of the cliff and once used as a refuge by hermits.
In 1876 the castle was used as a cemetery, and the presence of tombs, arranged randomly, make the environment surreal.
A short distance from the Castle, stands the guardhouse, which stands out with its silhouette on a high promontory overlooking the valley.
