The village of Maletto stands out, from its almost 1000 meters of height, for being the highest municipality in the entire province of Catania: it is located just 7 km from Bronte, on the north-eastern slopes of the Etna volcano, in the heart of the wonderful Etna area.
The village is commonly known to be the Strawberry City, without forgetting however its not indifferent historical and artistic heritage.
Il Maletto Castle, albeit in ruins, is one of the symbols of this village in the Catania area and it was precisely among these ruins that a legend linked to a princess of the brigands and the birth of the town of Maletto.
Maletto legend: charm and mystery about the origins of the Sicilian village
From a historical point of view, the village of Maletto was born in 1263 around the fortress wanted by the Count of Mineo, Manfredi of Maletto, also a relative of the stupor mundi Frederick II. This castle stood on a high spur of sandstone rock and dominated the entire inhabited area, the woods and surrounding strawberry fields: it is thought that its original nucleus dates back even to the Arab-Norman era and that it served as a watchtower (originally it was in fact called Rocca di Fano, in reference to the term of Arabic origin which indicates a light source coming from a lookout post).
In any case, the Castle was at the center of the battle of the Vespers of 1282, following which the Malettos lost not only control of the fortress but of the entire town. Today of the ancient manor only a few lava stone ruins remain scattered here and there on the crest: an ancient legend tells that the ruined Castle of Maletto is infested by the ghost of the princess of the brigands, which has always watched over the village and its citizens.
It is said that this princess, whose dialect name is Maretu (hence the name of the town derives) was the daughter of Hermes, legendary messenger of the gods: the young woman was therefore in fact a semi-divinity and had the gift of being very fast in all her actions. However, to enjoy this power of hers, the young woman had to remain a virgin and it was certainly not easy for her, so beautiful and fascinating: however, she was surrounded by criminals and brigands, of which she was almost queen, however governing them with wisdom, goodness and much courage. She and her band spent their days plundering and robbing nearby towns, then carrying their rich loot within the safe walls of the Castle.
Throughout her young life, the princess of the brigands always managed to keep her virtue intact, refusing the courtships of the many suitors who presented themselves, dedicating her existence to love, protect and feed her people.
The tragic end of the brave princess of the brigands
However, the life of the princess was about to be turned upside down by the aims of three greedy and treacherous men: these, in fact, blinded by the girl's beauty and royalty, decided to possess her at all costs. So they asked for help from a witch and worked out a plan that would elude the control of the fierce personal guard of the princess: the three men, with the excuse of taking a treasure rich in gold, invited the girl to the Simeto Valley, covered at that moment by expanses of poppies. Indeed, these red flowers had the power to induce sleep and the wildlings hoped that, when the girl fell asleep, they would be able to take advantage of her undisturbed, protected by their charcoal masks.
When the princess arrived in the valley, she actually began to slowly fall into a deep sleep but she had time to understand the intentions of her tormentors: courageous and indomitable until the end, she managed to remove their masks, taking them with her to the kingdom of Morpheus . All four of them will die of hunger and Hermes, in front of the now lifeless body of his daughter, picked it up and spoke to him: it will be the princess's spirit that will ask her father for permission to continue to protect her people and town.
Even today, the elders of Maletto tell the younger ones about the life of the princess of the brigands and her continuous presence in the castle, to watch over the village and its citizens for eternity.
Those who love poignant legends cannot fail to visit Maletto, with the ruins of the Castle from which you can see the town of Randazzo and the beautiful Mother Church, with the monumental staircase decorated with lava stone pillars.
The best time to discover Maletto is in the month of June, when you will have the opportunity to participate in the Maletto strawberry festival, much appreciated for being very sweet, juicy and particularly red.
© Image by Richard Spoto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
