Grifeo Castle in Partanna
The Castello Grifeo di Partanna is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Sicily.
Its present appearance dates back to the 14th century and was commissioned by the Grifeo family from which it had taken the name and to which it belonged until 1890. But the history of the manor is much older: the Grifeo family obtained the territory from the Great Count Ruggero in the year 1091 and it was then that the first nucleus of the castle was built, which is believed to have been formed from a pre-existing Norman watchtower.
Although various transformations have altered its original appearance, it still has the solemn appearance of an ancient crenellated fortress with three large wings arranged around a large courtyard. The main façade has two advanced symmetrical wings in the shape of a tower and connected by a curtain. At the center of there is a splayed portal on which there is a small defensive tower with a slit. On the sides of the portal there are four architraved windows, two on each side, framed by square stones. The Guelph battlements complete the symmetry of the façade. On the first level there are five openings in the shape of an acute arch; the second level has a raised turret in the center with a crenellated crown.
The central portal inside the courtyard leads to the reception hall also known as "Sala delle Armi" or "Sala del Trono". Most of the rooms no longer retain the antique furnishings. From the reception hall you go down to the ancient stables of the castle from which you can visit the garden, the cellars and the underground areas entirely dug into the rock.
Part of the premises of the castle house the Civic Museum of Prehistory of Basso Belìce.
