Barresi-Branciforte Castle in Militello in Val di Catania
The Barresi-Branciforte Castle in Militello in Val di Catania, of which only a few elements remain today, is a Norman fortress.
It was built at the beginning of the 14th century, probably on a pre-existing Swabian fortress, at the behest of Baron Abbo Barresi. In 1337, King Peter II of Sicily granted Giovanni IV Barresi, who succeeded his father Aldo, the privilege of surrounding the town with walls, including the castle within it. In 1354, a meeting of the Sicilian parliament was held there; in 1410, Queen Bianca of Navarre found hospitality there during her tormented escape from the Grand Justiciar of the Kingdom Bernardo Cabrera; in 1473, the tragedy of Aldonza Santapau took place, killed by her husband Antonio Piero Barresi because she was suspected of infidelity. In 1571, following the marriage between Caterina Barresi and Fabrizio Branciforte, Prince of Butera and Count of Mazzarino, the city and the fortress passed to the Branciforte family, one of the richest and most important families in all of Sicily. It was seriously damaged by the catastrophic earthquake of 1693 and only partially repaired. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the building, now abandoned, was divided and sold to private individuals who converted it into homes.
The castle was originally built on one side of the walls and bordered by a moat on the west side. It was accessed from the west side where the large entrance door equipped with winches and a portcullis was located. It had a square plan, about 33 m per side, with a large internal courtyard, with cylindrical crenellated towers at the four corners. On the west side stood the large keep that served as the lord's residence.
Of the original construction today only the following remain: the Porta della Terra, so called because the neighborhood where the castle stood was known as Terra Vecchia, located on the south side; the fountain of the Nymph Zizza; two cylindrical towers with adjacent rooms; the rooms of the oil mill for pressing olives; the southern end of the gallery, where the library was located; remains of the walls of the northern curtain; the Porta del Bastione, located to the south of the castle, one of the secondary gates of the medieval walls of the city.
