Castle of the Emiro in Misilmeri

At the gates of Palermo, in the town of Misilmeri, there are historical monuments of great value such as the Castle of the Emir. A construction built during the period of Arab and partly Norman domination.

The Castle of the Emir in Misilmeri

According to numerous historical documents it was possible to establish that the wonderful Castle of the Emir present on the territory of Misilmeri in the province of Palermo was built between the years 996 and 1098.
It took 102 years to complete this structure positioned on top of the fortress to exploit its strategic position for military matters and therefore to have control over the surrounding territory.
In fact, visiting the Castle of the Emir means not only finding yourself in a historical place that has gone through numerous eras, but also appreciating a breathtaking view over the whole valley up to the coasts of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Initially the castle included a single tower which was later enlarged with the addition of walls to ensure greater security. Precisely in this fortress, a very important war was fought which in fact allowed the Norman invaders led by Ruggero D'Altavilla in the year 1098 to get the better of the Arabs. In the same year the construction of the Castle was completed. Subsequently, the structure somewhat lost its strategic value with the castle being sold to Giorgio d'Antiochia and subsequently donated to the diocese of Palermo.
A couple of centuries later there is news of a change of ownership in favor of the Chiaramontes who at the time were particularly rich and who could count on numerous properties in the province of Palermo while in 1392 it passed to the Moncadas. In the meantime the Castle had been enriched with a religious building, a chapel consecrated to the rite of Saint Anthony of Padua. Over the centuries there have been several changes of ownership up to the year 1980 when it was elected a national monument and underwent restoration work to restore its ancient beauty.

What the Castle of the Emir offers

Unfortunately due to the carelessness that characterized several centuries, the Castle of the Emir today it is much less rich than the original plan which included a tower around which other towers were built and a central courtyard with powerful and well-developed walls. Among other things, there was a multi-level residential palace inside, often the home of powerful masters and wealthy nobles of the time.

Despite the renovations carried out after 1980, the Castle has lost its beauty, being found only by that polygonal tower and some parts of the ancient city walls. It was also possible thanks to the intervention of the professionals to carry out an important recovery work which made it possible to get back a beautiful floor dating back to medieval times and four columns. Also very interesting is the presence of aancient cell where opponents of the government used during the eighteenth century were imprisoned. An evocative aspect is that on the walls of this cell there are writings showing names and data, as well as messages from the inmates who I knew very well that it would be difficult for them to get out alive.

What to see in Misilmeri

The town of Misilmeri, in addition to the splendid Castello dell'Emiro, has other buildings with an important historical and cultural structure as in the case of the Church of St. John the Baptist whose construction was carried out during the 1500s and to be precise in the year 1553. Inside there are several important works including the wooden statue depicting the Immaculate covered in a silver cloak and the Via Crucis dating back to 1767 made on slate. Then there are many other churches like that of Saint Cajetan of Thiene, Church of San Francesco d'Assisi, Church of the Holy Souls And that of Saint Anthony of Padua.

How to get to Misilmeri

Misilmeri is located on the outskirts of Palermo, to reach it by car from the Sicilian capital about 18 km is sufficient, which can be covered in just 25 minutes by first crossing the state road 113 and then the state road 121. The journey for those who decide to get to Misilmeri starting from Messina with an itinerary of just over 220 km is different for approximately 150 minutes of travel via the A20 motorway and the E90.

© Image by Emirok, publicdomain, e Emirok, CC BY 2.5 EN, via Wikimedia Commons