Norman Tower in Militello in Val di Catania
The Norman Tower in Militello in Val di Catania, now reduced to a state of ruin, is an Anglo-Norman donjon dating back to the 11th-12th century with a residential and defensive function.
The tower stands on the northern side of the Church of Santa Maria la Vetere, a position that highlights the fortified nature of the place of worship in the Norman era. Following the construction of the castello Barresi-Branciforte, the tower was used as an ossuary for the parish of Santa Maria della Stella.
The tower has a quadrangular base, approximately 10 metres per side, and was distributed over several levels.It is assumed that it should have reached a height of about 20 meters, similar to the contemporary fortified buildings of the Castello di Motta Sant'Anastasia, the Torre Normanna di Milazzo and the Castellaccio di Scicli.
The ground floor of the tower, leaning against the rocky side of the hill, has an underground chamber inside which is believed to date back to the Greek age, given the presence of an inscription in archaic Greek on a wall; the first floor, supported by a barrel vault in stone blocks, has a large window to the north with a large bracket. The second floor is almost completely destroyed, only part of the east wall remains and some steps of the connecting spiral staircase obtained inside the perimeter wall.
