Castle of San Giacomo in Favignana
The Castle of San Giacomo in Favignana is well preserved, thanks to its particular location inside a prison structure, which does not make it accessible to visitors at the moment.
It was built, by the will of Ruggero I d'Altavilla, around 1074-1101, as evidenced by a plaque, now non-existent, placed in the boundary wall. It was rebuilt on the basis of the nucleus built in the Norman era in 1498 by the Lord of Favignana Andrea Rizzo, during the Aragonese reign of Ferdinand II the Catholic.
The castle can be reached via a covered hanging corridor that connects the entrance with a small building adjacent, in which the offices of the guard personnel are organized. The main church of the island dedicated to San Giacomo was located on the outskirts of the fort. The belfry, of which only the base exists, stood on the premises now used as the factory management offices.
The square-plan castle has a structure surrounded by a moat, with the lower part hollowed out in the rock.
