The castle of Caccamo is one of the most majestic and best-preserved medieval fortresses in Italy, it stands on top of a large cliff in the wonderful medieval village of Caccamo in the province of Palermo.
History of the Castle
In 1094 the city passed into the hands of Goffredo de Sagejo, the feud remained in their possession for about half a century after which it was given to the Bonello family. Meteo Bonello, the bitter enemy of the king, in the company of his men, took hostage and killed the prime minister Maione da Bari and captured the sovereign William I.
The people went to help the King bring him back to the throne. Bonello then took refuge with his companions inside the fortress. The king served Bonello his revenge, making him believe he had forgiven, imprisoned, and tortured him to death.
In the thirteenth century the fortress passed into the hands of the Chiaramonte family in this period significant changes were made to the castle, the latter was fortified thanks to the construction of various towers and halls, in fact, from 1302 to 1392, it resisted the assault of the Aragonese.
In 1480 an era of decline began, later, in the 17th century with the acquisition of the castle by the Amato family, the building became a noble residence and was enriched with terraces and frescoed halls, thus losing its military function.
The last family to live in the castle was that of the De Spucches. Since 1963 the castle has been owned by the Sicilian region which deals with tourist services in collaboration with the local Pro Loco.
Myths and Legends
Caccamo Castle is where history and architecture meet legends, ghosts and ghosts.
It is said that the ghost of Matteo Bonello wanders in search of peace within the walls of the fortress and that he is mainly seen in the “hall of the conspiracy” dressed in period clothes.
Another little story that fascinates and at the same time disturbs visitors is the one that revolves around the story of a beautiful girl who was locked up in the convent at the behest of her father because she was in love with a soldier, the girl in pain died shortly after. At the stroke of midnight, on full moon nights, the nun dressed in white is seen walking around the castle holding a pomegranate, legend has it that whoever manages to eat it without touching it will be kissed by luck and will find a great treasure if drop one of the grains you will be forced to wander exactly like her and in her company forever.
Opening Hours and Ticket Office
Inside the castle, it is possible to visit the museum of weapons, admire the clothes and pieces of furniture of the time, and see a wonderful landscape from its terrace.
The castle is open from 9:00 to 13:00 (last admission at 12:30) and from 15:00 to 20:00 (last admission at 18:30)
- ORDINARY RATE TICKET € 6.00
- PROMOTIONAL TICKET RATE €1.00 for residents of the Municipality of Caccamo
- PROMOTIONAL RATE TICKET € 4.50 with ONLINE booking from the website of the Municipality of Caccamo
- PROMOTIONAL RATE TICKET € 3.00 for students between the ages of 18 and 25
- SPONSOR PACKAGE economic operators, sponsors and tour operators € 4.50 minimum n. 20 tickets
- FREE TICKET under the age of 18 (upon presentation of the appropriate document), and to all categories of visitors referred to in art. 15 of the Municipal Regulations approved with a resolution of the Civil Code n.8 of 06/02/2020, and those provided for in circular n. 1 of 20/01/2017 of the Regional Department of Cultural Heritage
For info and reservations call the numbers: Tel. 0918103233 – (Monday to Friday) Tel. 0918149252 – (every day) Email: turismo@comune.caccamo.pa.it