Pietraperzia Castle – Barresi Branciforti

Il Pietraperzia Castle it is an ancient medieval construction, also known as Castle Barresi Branciforte. Located in the center of the town, it is still today a place rich in history, where it is possible to travel in time, simply by observing the structure of the castle and booking a visit.

But here is its history: we are in the XNUMXth century in the Val di Noto, where Abbo I Barresi manages the fiefdom of the Aleramici, who had received it directly from the hands of Ruggero D'Altavilla, Grand Count of Sicily.
In this period the Castle was built, taking advantage of the 549 meters of height of the crest on which it stands, to dominate the Imera Valley. Thus it was that, alongside the settlements of Sicilians, Byzantines, Romans and Arabs, the Norman castle of Pietraperzia was also built.

Following the local conflicts, the Castle passed under the hands of the De Verga and then again of the Barresi, changing its appearance from time to time, up to the sixteenth century, a period in which parts of the Castle were still being built. The last Barresi heir, Dorotea, married Giovanni Branciforte, linking her name and that of the castle to the Count of Mazarin.
The Brancifortes used the castle as a private residence until the beginning of the XNUMXth century, when, due to the high costs of running the building, they began to sell parts of it to the Municipality, which used the premises as prison cells for about a century, until that the Castle became the property of the Lanza family.

The architecture of the Barresi Branciforti Castle in Pietraperzia

Today the ruins of the Castello di Pietraperzia are mainly visible, but even so, it is not difficult to reconstruct the ancient glories of this fortress: the first Norman building was already completely destroyed in the XIII century, while in the XIV century the quadrangular tower was erected; a century later the new quadrangular and circular towers were added and a little later the new building flanking the Torrione was erected: with a quadrangular plan, it overlooks a complex of caves located on the mountain crest.

It is said that there were in the building 365 rooms, almost all equipped with a window, while inside the castle, we find the courtyard with statues that reproduce the features of the Barresi. The walls of the manor were almost completely crenelated.
Among frescoes, stairways and decorated portals, this residence was equipped with all the luxury and comfort available in the past.

What to do at the Castello di Pietraperzia and in the surrounding area

Visiting the Castello di Pietraperzia will allow you to take a real journey through time, from the XNUMXth century to the present day, discovering many stories, anecdotes and customs of Sicily over the course of time. Once the visit is complete, we advise you to stay in Pietraperzia, to admire all the other beauties of the centre, such as the former Dominican convent, now the seat of the Town Hall, with its captivating story waiting to be discovered or the Regina Margherita Municipal Theatre in Vittorio Square.

In the village, then, you will also find many religious buildings, beautiful churches to visit such as the Mother Church of Santa Maria Maggiore of the sixteenth century and the Cave Church, built on the site of an ancient fourteenth-century church and survived to demolitions and thefts over the centuries.

Other churches in the village are those of San Rocco need Holy Mary of Jesus, where we point out the presence of a wonderful cloister to visit. In the center you will also find the Governor's Palace and Palace of Princess Deliella.

From Pietraperzia you can also reach larger towns, such as Catania to the east, which is 109 km away, or Licata, 59 km away on the southern coast of Sicily.

How to get to Pietraperzia Castle

Pietraperzia, in the Free Municipal Consortium of Enna, is easily reached in the car, passing through the A19 Palermo-Catania and exiting at the junction for Caltanissetta, about 14 km from the town; Also on the train, reaching Pietraperzia is simple, from Caltanissetta Central Station, which is only 10 km from the center.

© Image by Antonio Francesco6162, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons