Octagonal Tower of Frederick II in Enna

In Italy there are countless historical sites that tell of the country's past: many are well known while others are hidden gems, often ignored by most. Enna is a small town in the Sicilian hinterland with a very rich historical heritage and the Frederick Tower it is one of these: it is a construction that even today is shrouded in mystery regarding its construction, not to mention the legends that cloak it and which do nothing but increase the suggestion it triggers in intrigued visitors.

The history of the Tower of Frederick II in Enna

Enna rises to 931 m. high, on a promontory surrounded by the Erei Mountains which dominates the Dittaino Valley below: what is today considered the Belvedere of Sicily, was defined by the Romans Urbs Inexspongebilis, being considered virtually impenetrable.

Visiting Enna and its monuments today, one can well understand the name given to it by the Romans, especially in the presence of the Castle of Lombardy and the Tower of Frederick II: both constitute the majestic military bulwark built to defend Castrogiovanni (ancient name of the city), the 'one guarding the eastern sector and the other defending the western area.

The fact that the tower is octagonal has led to the belief that the construction dates back to Swabians (just remember the famous Castel del Monte in Puglia): some scholars think that it was commissioned by Frederick II and designed by Riccardo Lentini, not to mention that it seems that the Stupo Mundi stayed here during his summer holidays in Sicily.
Other studies, however, state that the tower dates back to a much older era and is the result of the genius of the Sicilians, only to have been modified in the Middle Ages.

Architecture of the Tower of Frederick II in Enna

La Frederick Tower II stands on a light green grassy slope, octagonal in shape and 27 m high: it was surrounded by walls that ran along its octagonal perimeter and some sections of these are still present. Like a municipality keep Norman, also the Tower of Enna it develops on two floors connected by a spiral staircase, decorated with ribbed vaults and typically Gothic architectural elements: from the top of the tower the view extends over the whole of Enna and even the distant Mount Etna.
It seems that the Tower played a role as an astronomical and geodetic observatory and that some astronomers started from the tower for their measurements, in order to outline the Sicilian road system and the administrative subdivision of the three valleys.

What to see around the Octagonal Tower of Enna

Federico's Tower is just one of the things to see in Enna, although it is its main symbol: a stone's throw away is the Castle of Lombardy with her Pisan tower , Rocca of Cerere, built to counter the Roman advance and including rock sites and underground environments.
The history of Enna is then imprinted in the Gate of Janniscuru, an imposing construction that is very reminiscent of Roman arches: it stands at the foot of the promontory where the city stands and is the only one left of the six gates present in the past.

The wonderful place is also worth a visit Cathedral of Enna, declared in fact UNESCO heritage: the building, which shows a predominance of the Baroque style, houses works of great value such as the frescoes by Borremans. This artist also left his mark at the Papardura Sanctuary, housed inside a richly decorated cave inside: there are in fact stuccos by Serpotta and a crucifix painted on stone and discovered in 1659.

You cannot leave Enna without visiting the Regional Archaeological Museum inside the sixteenth-century Palazzo Varisanoli and Palazzo Pollicarini, a XNUMXth-century noble residence which features a beautiful porticoed courtyard, a monumental staircase leading to the main floor and an elegant entrance portal.

How to get to Enna

To visit the Tower of Frederick II in Enna you need to start from Catania and take the A19 towards Palermo (same road for those who decide to start from the Sicilian capital). From Messina you arrive via the A18 while from Agrigento you have to take the SS640.