"Our Castle, our wealth"

Through a guided tour, students present the history and the architecture of the Castle of Milazzo (ME), a fortified “Citadel” at the top of the old Borgo (Borough). The Normans and the Swabians built it on the existing Muslim Garrison, the Aragonese updated the defence system and lastly the Spaniards surrounded it with mighty bastion walls. Then students describe the ancient Cathedral, whose building started in 1608 following Camillo Camilliani’s design, the Keep and the magic Scarab beetle, a strange, stylised picture of an insect made of black lava stone. As it was one of the largest fortresses of Sicily, the Castle of Milazzo was also the seat of Spanish Viceroys, it was the centre of many events during the uprisings for the independence of Italy, the most important of which was the great military victory of Garibaldi and his “Thousand Men” against the Bourbon troops on July the 20th 1860. Visitors can enjoy a wonderful view of Tyrrhenian Sea with the Aeolian Islands, Milazzo’s Plain and in the background the mighty Volcano Etna.