The Castle of Camastra

In the southern part of Sicily, surrounded by greenery, history and traditions that enrich this region, about twenty kilometers from Agrigento, stands a small village called camastra, populated by just under two thousand inhabitants.

Camastra was founded in 1620 by Giacomo Lucchesi who even became duke a few years later; at the time of the foundation the small village was born as a sort of passing destination, especially for all those who raised livestock and who used the place as a sort of farm.

Over time the inhabitants of the nearest towns like Naro e Licata decided to move permanently within the small Sicilian village, among them it is said that there were mainly those guilty, subsequently convicted, of small public crimes who, to avoid serving the possible sentence, decided to abandon their homes to take refuge in this corner of Sicily.

All this led to an ever greater expansion of Camastra which over time became a iconic village of Sicilian traditions. The small village stands at the foot of a rock on which a castle is built, also called a tower by many, which tells of years of history.

The history and castle of Camastra

Il castle of Camastra, also called the Camastra tower, is a typical example of a small one isolated fort, built to control the lands surrounding Camastra and which at the time had a fundamental role, given the use of these territories as environments for grazing and sheltering animals.

It stands on one rocky ridge of a plateau formerly occupied by an indigenous settlement which was subsequently Greekized, also given the numerous invasions that have characterized this territory, from which the hills surrounding the village are dominated.

It was built during Fourteenth century and currently only a small part of it remains visible.
The castle of Camastra consists of a pentagonal pinnacle of particular construction, composed of stones formed from mortar.

The work has an irregular pentagonal plan which is still preserved down to the smallest detail and in some places the walls exceed three meters in height; their conservation was also made possible thanks to their foundations which rest directly on a compact block of limestone rock , precisely following its shape, and are built with the use of stone bound with abundant mortar.

A slit and a window are open and clearly visible on the same side that overlooks the path leading to the site. The castle of Camastra can be visited throughout the year.

In addition to the castle of Camastra

Camastra represents the classic village capable of representing Sicilian traditions, the strong bond with the land and nature for its inhabitants, the typical colors of Sicily, the unique flavors of this region; visiting Camastra means diving into the heart of Sicilian history, in an environment that in some ways seems light years away from everyday reality where stress and hectic rhythms dominate the days.
The castellazzo is partly the symbol of the cultures that have influenced the history of the place.

The nearby towns, decidedly more populated, of Naro and Licata give further opportunity to fully discover the beauties of the place, the numerous royal palaces, the churches, the architectural works tell in every way the history of the island rich in colonizations which brought art and cultures of various kinds which today are reflected in the corners of these cities to show all their splendor.

The town of Licata gives visitors the opportunity to savor Sicilian flavors thanks to the culinary culture of this place which features delicacies of all kinds, from first courses to desserts, also in this case in each dish the tradition of the place is told which represents an example of uniqueness in Italy and in the rest of the world.

How can you reach the Castellazzo di Camastra

Da Agrigento you walk through it state road 115 towards Licata to take the Palma di Montechiaro exit; from here you follow the state road 410 towards Naro until reaching the castle of Camastra.