Belvedere Castle in Fiumedinisi

Fiumedinisi it is a town where about 1200 inhabitants live in the Metropolitan City of Messina. Its history is ancient and begins in the XNUMXth century, when the center was founded by Greek colonists. One of the most interesting monuments in the area is undoubtedly the Belvedere Castle in Fiumedinisia Norman fortress from the 750th century, built on top of a cliff, XNUMX meters above sea level

The castle was built by the Normans and in the Middle Ages it became the property of various noble families, until it passed into the hands of the Colonna Romano family, which held ownership of the walls for about six hundred years. In 1900 the last owner of the Belvedere Castle in Fiumedinisi, Duke Giovanni Antonio Colonna, donated the manor to Municipality of Fiumedinisi.

It is currently possible to visit the castle ruins, which was restored in 2006 allowing the preservation of some structural elements of the building, unfortunately without the interior due to acts of vandalism and time.

The architecture of Belvedere Castle in Fiumedinisi

The plan of the castle is irregular, but recalls the shape of a pentagon, which can be reconstructed by following the traces of the perimeter walls, the only ones to have remained intact; inside the manor it is still possible to observe some dividing walls, but almost nothing has remained intact, with the exception of the keep, the highest tower of the castle.

What was the ancient life in the manor, we can imagine it in some of the highlights of a medieval day: from the cistern to the loopholes and the patrol walkways, it is possible to reconstruct some aspects of life in the management and defense of the Belvedere Castle in Fiumedinisi.

What to do at the Belvedere Castle in Fiumedinisi and its surroundings

The Belvedere Castle site in Fiumedinisi can be visited today and despite the lack of internal, structural and furnishing elements, we advise you to stop at the manor, to enjoy that sense of grandeur and beauty that the walls of the Castle still inspire in visitors. From the fortress it is also possible to enjoy a fantastic sea view.

Going down to 200 meters above sea level you will also find the town: Fiumedinisi, center of the Peloritani Mountains where there are numerous churches. Among the religious buildings that we recommend you visit in the centre, there are the Mother Church of the twelfth century, Sanctuary of Maria Santissima Annunziata, the even older one Church of St. Peter, dating from the eleventh century and the Baroque Church of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel, built in 1769.

Fiumedinisi is also the name of the stream that crosses the town from north to south, flowing into the Ionian Sea, not far from Nizza di Sicilia. This is one of the small but delightful coastal towns of south-eastern Sicily, as well as one of the destinations that we suggest you reach if you spend a few days in Fiumedinisi. In Nizza di Sicilia, in addition to the beach bathed by the splendid and crystalline Sicilian sea, you will also find several churches, such as the Church of Santa Maria Assunta or the Church of San Giovanni Battista, as well as military architecture, such as the Castello d'Alcontres, an attraction that cannot be missed on a tour of a true lover of ancient manors.

Those who prefer the mountains to the sea can easily reach the homonymous river from Fiumedinisi Oriented Nature Reserve, where the source of the river that crosses the town is also found.

How is it possible to get to the Belvedere Castle in Fiumedinisi

Fiumedinisi, in the Metropolitan City of Messina, can be reached by car, via the A18 Messina-Catania, taking the exit for Roccalumera, or on the train, from the S. Teresa di Riva station, thanks to the connection by bus or shuttle.

© Image by (01) Stefano Bello, CC BY-SA 4.0, and (02) Stefano Bello, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons