Enna
Sicily's largest castle, Pisan tower panorama, navel of Sicily, six surviving towers.
Photograph · Castello di Lombardia
At a glance
Names, makers, dates, and context before the story opens up.
| What it is | Castle |
|---|---|
| Where | Enna, Sicily |
| Known for | Sicily's largest castle, Pisan tower panorama, navel of Sicily, six surviving towers |
The story
At the island's exact center, Enna's vast castle held twenty towers behind its long walls; six remain. From the Pisan tower the view runs to Etna across half of Sicily, the panorama that earned Enna its title of the island's belvedere.
Each statement below is linked to the record or institution that supports it.
Castello di Lombardia is Enna’s protected monumental fortified complex. The Pisana tower is an internal component of the castle, not a separate attraction; nearby Torre di Federico should remain a distinct but related place.1,2
The castle’s origin cannot be determined precisely because documentation is scarce or unavailable. The MiC inventory says the most commonly accepted interpretation is a near-complete rebuilding under Frederick II of Swabia, using pre-existing works and probably retaining a plan adapted to the site’s topography. This is scholarly interpretation, not a secure foundation date.1
The complex has an outer polygonal enceinte, corner towers and three internal courtyards separated by curtain walls. The MiC inventory gives an area of about 26,600 square metres and explains that the three-courtyard layout could support defence in separate sectors after a breach.1
The three courtyards are known as the Armati or San Nicolò, Maddalena or Vettovaglie, and the innermost court. The innermost court contains the Pisana keep, the Torre dell’Harem and the palatium, a large rectangular hall south of the Pisana tower. The first court’s open-air theatre was dismantled in the late 1990s.1
Plan your visit
