Caccamo Castle

Palermo is an unmissable stop on a tour of Sicily, thanks to its historical and artistic heritage which finds expression in monuments declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A little over 47 km from Palermo is the village of Caccamo, a small medieval jewel located in the heart of the Bassa Torto river valley, at a height of 521 m.. There are many things to see, but its symbolic monument is certainly its Castle considered one of the best medieval military constructions of the whole island: bloody pages of history have been written there, so much so that many legends hover over the castle, making it even more fascinating and mysterious.

The Castle of Caccamo: historical notes

The first news relating to the Castle of Caccamo dates back to 1094, when it was sold, together with the relative feud, to the Norman Goffredo de Sagejo. After about half a century the Bonellos took over, who undertook to make the castle impregnable, as demonstrated by the story relating to Matteo Bonello. The man went down in history for having conspired in 1660 against Giglielmo I il Malo, up to the point of having him fall into an ambush in which Prime Minister Maione da Bari died.
However, the people saved the sovereign, leading Bonello to take refuge in the Castle of Caccamo. The royal army besieged the fortress in vain, which proved to be practically impregnable, and only the feigned forgiveness of the sovereign prompted Matteo Bonello to leave his refuge. He was terribly tortured, the tendons in his feet were severed and his eyes gouged out, until he died in the tower. It is said that his specter still roams the halls of the Castle in search of that peace never achieved in life.

The Bonellos were followed by other noble families who helped to fortify the fort, from the Chiaramontes to the Amatos up to the De Spuches, with whom the castle became an important cultural center, being Don Giuseppe husband of the poetess Turrisi Colonna.

Architectural style of the Castle of Caccamo

The Castle of Caccamo dominates the village below and the valley of the river Leonardo from the top of a cliff with steep walls. The appearance is that of a medieval fortress, with towers and battlements on the walls, on which it is not difficult to imagine the soldiers on guard duty or the damsels looking out from the mullioned and single lancet windows of their rooms.
You enter the castle by overcoming a stepped climb, beyond which you find yourself near the stables, the guardhouse and the panoramic terrace located near the private chapel. Perhaps this is where the seems to get around ghost of a nun holding a pomegranate, by eating which one would be close to finding a treasure, provided one never touches the nun's hand.

The seventeenth-century portal leads to the large hall where Bonello's Conspiracy was planned: then you come across Baroque-style rooms finely decorated with plant motifs, including the Lunchroom with beautiful majolica floors. Then it is recommended visit the prisons, where the graffiti left by the prisoners are still visible, who were often destined to die here, as demonstrated by the treacherous blades hidden under a trap door.

What to do around the Castle of Caccamo

In addition to the castle, Caccamo is a village that deserves to be explored, to discover its most beautiful churches. Stands out among all the Cathedral of St. George, inside which it is possible to admire paintings by the Flemish Stomer, a beautiful triptych depicting the Madonna with Child and a valuable baptismal font by Gagini.
Equally enchanting is the Church of San Benedetto alla Badia: the exterior sobriety contrasts with the Baroque grandeur of the interiors, dominated by the gold and white colors of the stuccos by Sanseverino, in addition to the wonderful mosaic floors. Not far away also rises the Church of the Annunziata, which preserves a painting by Borremans and the spectacular St. Joseph's Staircase.

How to get to Caccamo

By car, to get to Caccamo and visit its Castle, you have to take the highway that connects Messina to Palermo and exit at Termini Imerese. Continue for about 7 km following the signs for Caccamo.

© Image by Phyrexian, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Phyrexian, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons