Castle of Monforte San Giorgio

Monforte San Giorgio is a Sicilian town in the province of Messina rich in history and tradition thanks to its strategic position. On its territory there are several points of interest for history and architecture enthusiasts such as the Monforte Castle.

The Castle of Monforte San Giorgio

Il Monforte Castle in Monforte San Giorgio is a structure dating back toByzantine era, mainly made for defend the territory. This structure, which unfortunately is only partially visible today, stood on a hill that served as a point of separation between the streams of Niceto and those of Monforte. It also had an important role in controlling movements and connections that cross the two valleys going from the Ionian side to the Tyrrhenian side and vice versa. There history of the castle of Monforte San Giorgio it begins in the year 1115 with a first structure that was positioned for military reasons. In 1145 the first documents arrive that speak explicitly of the castellum Montisfortis, so it is possible to hypothesize that it had already been built on this date.

During the thirteenth century there are several versions regarding the castle and above all there is talk of an owner named Pierre de Francois, French and to be precise coming from the region of present-day Provence. Federico III was also interested in this structure and around 1350 he decided to have the castle rebuilt to make it more suitable for his needs.
It was used for a couple of centuries until the year 1693 was reached with the terrible earthquake that struck all of Eastern Sicily which effectively razed it to the ground. Probably also due to the fact that there was extensive damage in the Sicilian territories, the reconstruction work was never started. In fact, a document dating back to 1750 mentions the fortress speaking of its extraordinary strategic position and above all of how it dominated the whole town from above. Today unfortunately it looks like a ruin of which it is also difficult to interpret the original plan and how the architecture was developed.

What to see in Monforte San Giorgio

In addition to being able to appreciate the history and the role that the castle of Monforte San Giorgio has had over the centuries, in this part of the Sicilian territory there are many other beauties and historical structures that are worth visiting. A hypothetical tour could leave for the Cathedral of San Giorgio Martire inside which is perfectly preserved a polyptych dating back to the year 1530 which depicts the Madonna and Child and other characters including the apostles and various saints. Then there are many other churches like the church of San Francesco di Paola with the related convent of the Order of Minims or the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Crispino dating back to the sixteenth century and the Church of Sant'Atanasio built in the XNUMXth century.

What to see nearby

In the vicinity of Monforte San Giorgio and the Castle itself, there are towns that offer interesting tourist offers. In the neighboring community of rometta it is possible to pay a visit to the Byzantine church dedicated to Santa Maria dei Cerei or take a look at the mother church and the church of Sant'Antonio. Among other things, the town of Rometta compared to other Sicilian villages, but also to the entire national scene, is grappling with a population phenomenon because the number of inhabitants has been growing steadily over the last 50 years. Another very nice town to visit is Fiumedinisi which has only 1200 inhabitants but has a magnificent Belvedere Castle or the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima Annunziata.

How to get to Monforte San Giorgio

The route to reach Monforte San Giorgio coming from Messina, by car, it is very fast because it is only 33 km which can be managed in about three quarters of an hour. In particular, it is necessary to enter the A20/E90 and at a certain point turn right to enter the SS113 and then arrive on the SP60.
For those arriving from Palermo there is a route of 211 km to be covered in 2 hours and 30 minutes. In this case you must first take the E90 and then the A20 for 190 with the exit at Milazzo / Isole Eolie. Follow the SP60 for 16 km and you reach your destination.