Castle of Campofelice di Roccella

Il Castle of Campofelice di Roccella it is located in an elevated position and dominates from the rocks overlooking the waters of the Mediterranean. It was once a very imposing building, but today only the tower remains, the remains of the manor house and those of some houses which were inside the walls and which were part of what was the Roccella farmhouse.
Here's what not to miss during a visit to Campofelice di Roccella and how to organize it.

History of the Castle of Campofelice di Roccella

The first official documents that speak of the castle of Campofelice di Roccella date back to 1138 and were written by Idrisi, an Arab geographer who told of a castle overlooking the sea. In reality, however, the castle had been built much earlier, probably the first time it was destroyed by the Arabs.
In 1200 the castle and all the surrounding territories were ceded to the Church of Cefalù, some time later there was the passage to the Monastery dedicated to Santa Maria di Montevergine. Centuries later, however, it was there Ventimiglia family to take possession of the land, so much so that Francesco II Ventimiglia was responsible for the construction of the fortified tower, as it can still be admired today.
In 1507 the castle was bought by Paul Alliata who will be the owner until 1666. On that date it passed into the hands of Count Gaspare La Grutta who got the populous licence and was able to found the village of Castello di Roccella.

The architecture and any works of art present in the Castle of Campofelice di Roccella

Today there are only a few ruins and fragments of the castle left but some illustrations from the sixteenth century tell very well how the fortified structure was originally. The tower that is still visible today was only one of the parts that made up the fortification, which was flanked by a noble palace that had a rectangular plan and consisted of several floors. At the foot of the tower, instead, all the houses were arranged, which were on one floor and housed the inhabitants of the village, almost all peasants. All around the walls unraveled which merged with the arches which were intended to convey the water from a large cistern towards the inside of the castle. The tower, on the other hand, has been preserved intact over time and consists of several floors. Inside you can still admire a large fireplace, the Ventimiglia coat of arms and the staircase that led to the upper floor where the terrace used to be.

What you can do around the Castle of Campofelice di Roccella

Those who reach the village to visit the castle of Campofelice di Roccella can also take advantage of the opportunity to visit other beauties of the village.
For example, in the historic center of the town there is an octagonal square, named after Garibaldi, which is entirely occupied by an ancient stone fountain and which also overlooks the mother church which is dedicated to Santa rosalia and was built between 1829 and 1832. The lookout walk, however, is enriched by statues representing San Francesco, created by Santo di Bianca, and other important figures, such as the judges Falcone and Borsellino.

An element of attraction, however, is represented by the beaches which are located just below the hill, km of fine white sand lapped by a blue sea that make Campofelice di Roccella one of the most popular holiday resorts on the entire coast.

How to get to Campofelice di Roccella

Those who want to visit Campofelice di Roccella and depart from Palermo and Trapani will be able to travel, by car, the E90 while from Catania the most suitable road is the A19. Those coming from Messina, on the other hand, will have to take the route that first takes the A20 and then the E90 as a reference, while from Agrigento the reference road is the Ss189. Finally, from Caltanissetta, Enna and Syracuse, the recommended road is the one that includes the A19 and then the E932.

Those who want to travel on the train they will be able to arrive directly in Campofelice di Roccella, since it has a station located on the railway line that connects Palermo to Messina. Finally, the links with the are always active bus numbers which are organized by the AST company.

© Image by Macel Brilman (MacBr…, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons