Saracen Castle in Taormina
The Castello Saraceno di Taormina stands on a rock of Monte Tauro, and was built, according to tradition, by the Arabs. The castle is located at almost 400 meters above sea level, a position that allowed you to control the entire valley of the Alcantara river.
It is believed that the Muslims had their bulwark in the fortress in 1079, during the siege of the Normans. Count Roger adopted an ingenious strategy to cut off all supplies from the Saracens: around Taormina and its fortress, the Count had twenty-two wooden towers built so as to cut off any possible supply and contact with the outside from the Saracens. The Muslims were thus forced to surrender after a few months.
The castle is accessed via a staircase carved into the rock which, before reaching the door, crosses a forepart manned by patrol walkways. The external walls have been preserved very well, while the internal ones have almost all collapsed.
The castle has undergone a recent restoration and is now accessible to visitors.
