home > itineraries > castles > province of Siracusa > Spanish Fort Portopalo
Castles itinerary
Province of Trapani
Province of Palermo
Province of Messina
Province of Catania
Province of Siracusa
  • Spanish Fort Portopalo
    		•
    Province of Ragusa
    Province of Agrigento
    Province of Enna




    A museum of art and culture between sun and sea Itineraries of faith and folklore Sicilian foods and crafts The sea and the island Natural setting for sport and relaxation

    Spanish Fort (Portopalo di Capo Passero)

    At Portopalo, by the sea, one can still see traces of the old tuna fishery, with its yard, its loggia, the factory with its furnace, the warehouses, the house of the owners (the Bruno di Belmonte family), and this aristocratic family's chapel, built in the 17th cent. However, the most impressive and historically most important building is the Swabian/Aragonese construction that rises on the high point of the island. This was reinforced and embellished over the centuries, particularly in the age of Charles V. Its function was to defend the area from the frequent pirate raids. The fort - one of the most important in eastern Sicily - stands square on a level plain of land 20 metres above the sea. The solid curtain of walls presents very few windows. The entrance, to the east, is reached by way of a long L-shaped double-flight of stairs. The doorway is surmounted by a limestone coat of arms bearing an image of the imperial eagle. The inner courtyard is surrounded by square rooms with barrel vaults. The upper floor was used as quarters for the officers of the garrison. A room on the ground floor became a parish church dedicated to Our Lady of the Annunciation, where there are believed to be the graves of some persons who died in the 17th cent., as testified by a number of tombstones.
    The Citadel of Messina Milazzo castle The Citadel of Messina Fort of Vittoria Milazzo castle Maniace castle Norman castle of Aci Castello Ursino castle Montalbano Elicona castle Norman castle of Aci Castello Maniace castle Scaletta Zanclea castle Montalbano Elicona castle Fort of Vittoria Racalmuto castle Caccamo castle Gagliano Castelferrato castle Sperlinga castle Paternò castle Mussomeli castle Falconara castle (Gela) Donnafugata castle Adrano castle Carini castle Sea castle and Palazzo Steri Erice Norman castle Erice Norman castle Castelbuono castle Caccamo castle Castelbuono castle Lombardia castle Sea castle and Palazzo Steri Favara castle Naro castle Adrano castle Lombardia castle Donnafugata castle Falconara castle (Gela) Castello Ursino Castello Normanno di Aci Castello Cittadella di Messina Castello di Scaletta Zanclea Forte Vittoria Castello Maniace Forte Spagnolo



    Spanish Fort - Portopalo di Capo Passero