Norman castle built on a basalt crag left by an undersea eruption, the Castello di Aci or Castello Normanno, founded in 1076 at Aci Castello, Catania Province, Sicily, Italy. In 1169, hardening lava from a Mount Etna eruption physically linked the crag to the mainland. More than a century later, in 1297, the fortress was rebuilt by Ruggero di Lauria (Roger of Lauria), an admiral rebelling against the King of Sicily, Frederick III.
Aci Castello, Catania Province, Sicily, Italy: the dramatic site of the town’s Norman castle, perched on a basalt crag formed by an undersea eruption, has been used for defensive purposes for many centuries. The Castello di Aci overlooks the jagged Cyclopes islands which, according to Ancient Greek myth narrated by Homer, were missiles hurled at his fleeing hero Odysseus by Cyclops, the single-eyed giant he had blinded. The Castle was founded by the Normans in 1076 on what was then an island surrounded by the Ionian Sea. In 1169, hardening lava from a Mount Etna eruption physically linked the crag to the mainland. More than a century later, in 1297, the fortress was rebuilt by Ruggero di Lauria (Roger of Lauria), an admiral rebelling against the King of Sicily, Frederick III. Besieging Aragonese forces believed it was impregnable - until they tried using wooden siege towers built to the same height, a military technique pioneered by the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Aci Castello is now a popular tourist resort on the Riviera dei Ciclopi and the castle is open to visitors. Its attractions include a botanical garden and the civic museum, which explains the area’s geology and archaeology and displays artifacts retrieved from ancient shipwrecks.
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Castello di Aci, Castello Normanno, Aci Castello, Catania Province, Sicily, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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