Archeotrekking at the Castellaccio of Monreale

The Castellaccio of Monreale or Castle of St. Benedict is western Sicily’s only example of a monastery-military fortress. It is located on Monte Caputo near Monreale at an altitude of 764 m.HistoryThe castle was built around the 12th century under William II along with the more famous Cathedral and Monastery of Monreale. It is an example of Arab-Norman architecture in Sicily. It was an integral part of a vast system of defense-control of the territory resulting from the conquest of the island from 1061 to 1072. The castle dominates the Oreto Valley and many of the limestone reliefs of the Palermo Mountains. According to some scholars it was built over a pre-existing Muslim settlement. It was probably dedicated to St. Benedict. In addition to its military function as a lookout, the castellaccio was also intended as a resting place for the monks of the nearby monastery of Monreale.An important event in the castle’s history was in 1370 the attack by Giovanni Chiaramonte’s army against the Catalan nucleus flanked by Monreale monks. The clash caused damage to the structure of the castle, but since the strategic location was important for prevention from attacks from the north and south, restoration of the damaged parts was essential.