The Norman Castle in Adrano

In the center of the main square of Adrano stands the Norman Castle, one of the most important civil monuments in the country and symbol of the city.

The origins of the Norman Castle in Adrano date back to 1073, when the count Roger I of Sicily he built a defensive system to control the Simeto valley. The castles of Paternò e Motta which together with the Norman Castle of Adrano created a single complex useful for monitoring Catania and the nearby passes that led to Troina, Randazzo and Regalbuto.

After Norman domination the donjon became the property of numerous Sicilian dynasties, as the Castle was also a symbol of power. The Moncada family first, then it passed into the hands of the Peralta family, and subsequently became the property of the Sclafani family.

In 1754 it was the volta dei Counts Alvarez of Toledo and then from 1797 until 1920 it was inhabited by Moncada Ventimiglia. In 1959 the Norman Castle in Adrano became the property of the Region and became the home of numerous museums and exhibitions.

Norman Castle in Adrano: architecture and works of art

The Norman Castle of Adrano has a rectangular plan and reaches 33,70 meters in height. The base of the tower is surrounded by a light bastion and was used to build it lava stone, abundant in the territories of the Etna countries, mixed with basalt stones.

The rather large masonry varies from a minimum of 2,30 to a maximum of 2,60 meters thick. The tower is spread over four floors in addition to the ground floor, and the first levels are decorated with barrel and cross vaults, while the top floors were originally set up with wooden ceilings, then replaced over time with more resistant materials.

Access to the Norman Castle of Adrano is permitted from only one side of the tower, through a door on the ground floor.
The internal rooms of the castle have been adapted and transformed into: Saro Franco Regional Archaeological Museum, Contemporary art gallery, Historical Archive and ethnoanthropological collections, and art gallery.

The archaeological museum occupies almost the entirety of the Norman Castle of Adrano and inside it contains finds dating back to the Neolithic and Middle Ages. Prehistoric finds such as terracotta vases or bone objects found during some excavations in the Adrano area, columns made of lava stone and Ionic capitals from the southern necropolis of Adrano and numerous numismatic collections are just some of the things that can be appreciated in the permanent exhibitions set up at the Norman castle in Adrano.

Norman Castle in Adrano: what to see nearby

In the vicinity of the Norman Castle of Adrano there are numerous historical-cultural and naturalistic attractions that will allow you to enrich your sightseeing tour.

Right next to the Norman tower there is the Mother Church, also created by Count Roger I of Sicily. The first building had a single nave, without apse and chapel, but then over the years it was enriched with valuable elements, such as the Valenza bricks used to adorn the dome.

The Simeto Valley and Simeto lava gorges they are located a very short distance from the center of Adrano. These gorges created by lava flows and further dug by the course of the river, are a landscape spectacle visible only in this point of Sicily.

For those who don't want to leave the town center of Adrano, there is the municipal villa, called the Victory Garden which represents the green lung of the city. It extends for 35.000 mXNUMX and is the place where citizens relax and where children go to play or practice sports.

The city of Mendolito is an archaeological site located just outside Adrano.

Until the mid-XNUMXth century it was an area used for the cultivation of citrus fruits and in fact the terraces of this particular crop are still visible today. But what makes this archaeological site particularly interesting is the bronze collection found during some excavations and an inscription in the Sicilian language which is the only one of a monumental nature that has survived to the modern era.

Norman Castle in Adrano: how to reach your destination

To reach the Norman Castle of Adrano in the province of Catania there are basically three ways: by car, by train or by bus.
Who uses thecars you will have to enter the Catania ring road, take the SS121 at Misterbianco towards Paternò, and then merge onto the SS284 which continues up to Adrano.

Adrano can be reached in train from the circumetnea railway station of Catania which is located in via Caronda at number 352. This is a very fascinating route that takes place on board the typical train that crosses the municipalities of Misterbianco, Belpasso, Paternò and Biancavilla.

To get to the Norman Castle of Adrano in bus you need to take the Ferrovia Circumetnea bus line that leaves from Catania. The bus that specifically takes you to Adrano leaves from the Station-Port terminal which is located in via Dusmet.