Castel Sant'Angelo

There was a thunderstorm this afternoon, so the thunder rattled my windows heavily - it scared me. In any case, I didn't think it would be so nice towards evening, but the sky opened up and the sun came out at sunset.

So after my work we drove to Licata to climb the mountain and look at the Castel Sant'Angelo. It was already closed but we were interested in the view. Great. Then do some shopping and go to the bar, well two bars. A successful evening!

The castle stands on the extreme eastern offshoot of the Licata mountain, 130 meters above sea level and dominates the port to the south, the city and the plant to the north. Numerous archaeological remains are preserved all around (necropolis, sanctuaries, silos, roads, monumental tombs, living spaces, cisterns, etc.). The construction was begun in 1615 alongside a pre-existing quadrangular-based watchtower built between 1583 and 1585. The works were interrupted until 1636. The bastion was completed and inaugurated in 1640 and constitutes a rare example of baroque fortresses built in Sicily in the 17th century.

The castle never suffered attacks of any kind, demilitarized, it was used as a telegraph pole, for state service, from 1849 to 1856. At the beginning of the 20th century a "traffic light" was installed there with a garrison of the Air Force, which it continued to function until 1965, the year in which the Castle was definitively abandoned. By decree of 8 July 1969, it was declared of particular artistic and historical interest.

In the 1980s it was the subject of a restoration, managing to completely recover the architectural organism. Its located in the center of an archaeological area of interest, that is, in the center of the Hellenistic city which extends over the top of Monte Sant'Angelo.Read more