Beccadelli Castle in Marineo

One of the monuments that most characterizes the landscape of Marineo is certainly the Beccadelli castle. It is a construction that has a very specific historical origin as it was part of a defensive system to protect the territory and was used to spot enemies and discourage their incursions. However, over time it has undergone various vicissitudes: here, then, is how to reach the Beccadelli castle in Marineo and what not to miss.

History of the Marineo castle

From some historical documents of the time it is known that the marine castle it was built when Carlo D'Angio won the battle against the Swabian house and thus managed to maintain his power over the south. Since much of his strength was concentrated on territorial control, the king decided to scatter the territory with numerous castles, including that of Marineo. Then, in 1552, Charles V donated the fiefdom of Marineo to Francesco Beccadelli Bologna, to reward him for his military merits, and the new owner contributed at his own expense to make build the fortification. Not satisfied, however, he also decided to equip the area around the castle with a hundred houses, to which another 200 were then added, in order to convince the farmers from the surrounding lands to move to the area. Little by little, then, the castle took on the appearance of a noble palace, until feudalism was abolished in 1812 and the castle passed into the hands of the municipality.

The architecture and any works of art present in the Beccadelli castle of Marineo

From an architectural point of view, the Beccadelli castle of Marineo is currently in excellent condition and very well preserved.

Its external structure is that of a classic fortification, with sturdy walls and small, thin windows, to spot enemies and better protect yourself.
Internally, however, the castle is divided into several floors which adapt to the steep nature of the hill on which the structure is built. On the lowest floor there are obviously the technical rooms and the troops' quarters as well as the rooms in which the jobs were carried out and the supplies were kept. On the first floor, however, there are the lords' quarters and they are clearly recognizable because part of the original decoration has also been preserved. Finally, on the top floor there are spaces dedicated to troops, to monitor sightings. Inside the open courtyard, in the center of the castle, you can admire the coat of arms of the Beccadelli family.

What is possible to do in the surroundings of the Beccadelli castle in Marineo

Those who go to Marineo to visit the beautiful Beccadelli castle will certainly be able to take advantage of the opportunity to discover other evocative corners of this town in the province of Palermo. For example, the Church of the Crucifix it is a structure that has always accompanied the urban development of Marineo, having been built together with the farmers' houses in 1552: for this reason it has always been considered the old master church. Then there is not to be missed archaeological Museum which preserves the numerous artefacts that were found in the surrounding areas, given that they were inhabited since the times of the ancient Greeks. The new mother churchinstead, it is that dedicated to San Ciro of which the skull is also preserved which is the great protagonist of the party dedicated to him. Finally the sanctuary of the Madonna della Pietà it is a structure that was built in the XNUMXth century and is located in the highest part of the municipality of Marineo.

How can you get to Marineo

By car:, to get from Palermo to Castello Beccadelli di Marineo it is necessary to take the Ss121 while from Palermo the road to take is the E90. Those moving from Messina will have to choose first the A20 and then the E90 while from Catania the reference road is the A19. Finally, from Syracuse, you must first take the A19 and then finish the journey on the E932 to your destination.

Marineo does not have its own train station but those who wish to travel with the train can refer to that of Palermo Maredolce or Dei Mille - Torrelunga and from there continue with the lines of local buses made available by the AST company.