Paternò Castle

Paternò Castle, locally known as Castello di Paternò, lies on a 300 meters high rock, in the city of the same name, in the Catania province on the island of Sicily in Italy.

The town of Paternò is probably the site of the Roman settlement of Hibla Gaelatis. It was a stronghold during Roman, Byzantine and Muslim times.

Paternò Castle was built in 1072 by the Norman count Roger, the future King of Sicily, to fortify the area around the city of Catania, which was still in the hands of the Muslims, before laying siege. It was probably built on the site of a former Muslim tower. Later it served to protect the plain of Catania and the valley of the Simeto river.

During the 12th century possession of Paternò Castle first went to a Simon and later Manfredi Aleramica. Manfredi gave it as dowry to his daughter Desideria, who married Bartholomew de Lucy. After the arrival of the Aragonese, Paternò Castle was given to the Count of Squillace by Frederick III of Sicily. But in 1398 it was claimed as royal domain. It was supervised for some time by Bernardo Cabrera. In 1456 it became property of the Moncada family, until the abolition of feudalism in 1812.

Paternò Castle is quite similar to nearby Adrano and Motta Sant'Anastasia Castle; both also rectangular Norman keeps dating back to the same period.

At present the, 34 meters high, keep of Paternò Castle can not be visited. At least, I could not find any info about opening hours, too bad because I would have loved to look out of those 2 great windows.

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