SARACENO CASTLE - Castello Saraceno

The Saraceno Castle rises on Mount Tauro’s fortress. Nobody knows the definite date of its construction, but the tradition dates it back to the Arab period. The peculiarity of the fortress was its inexpugnability. For this reason, when the Normans in 1079 besieged the castle under the rule of the Saracen, they preferred, in order to avoid a long siege, to build around the area 22 wooden towers, so as to cut off the Saracens from every possible refueling and contact with the outside, forcing them to yield. The exterior walls remained almost unchanged, while almost all the interior ones have collapsed. Today, although the castle is inaccessible, the views one can admire from there are an excellent reason to reach its entrance.