Syracuse It is a beautiful city that develops on the Ionian coast of Sicily. A place best known for its ruins that date back to ancient times. Of course they are numerous and of inestimable value, but in the sky of this city there is also a military architecture whose importance and beauty are inestimable: the Maniace Castle.
What to expect
The Maniace Castle It is not a building that should be taken lightly: it is one of the most important monuments of the city’s Swabian period and at the same time one of the most famous Friderian mansions.
It is an eight-century-old stone fortress that stands out on the enchanting island of Ortigia and was built with the aim of protecting this ancient Sicilian city. Initially it was an imperial residence, but from the 16th century it was also used as a military outpost in the Mediterranean.
But it is not only the size and beauty of the Maniace Castle that amazes the visitor arriving in Syracuse. It is also its special history, linked to that of two bronze ram statues.
The history of the bronze ram statues
The construction of this magnificent Swabian castle dates back to between 1232 and 1240 and has served as a theater and the setting for various historical events over the centuries. One of the most interesting is that Robert of Anjou and Frederick of Aragon signed a truce here in 1300.
However, what happened in 1448 is particularly interesting because it is linked to two bronze ram statues from the Greek period.
When the Maniace Castle was completed, the entrance portal was added to the sides two bronze rams. One of these statues has been lost while the other still survives today Salinas Archaeological Museum from Palermo. Reproductions can also currently be seen at the gates of the mansion, but they are the original statues whose history perfectly matches that of the castle.
King Alfonso the Magnanimous sent the commander Giovanni da Ventimiglia to Syracuse because he wanted to try to calm the rebellions organized by some Syracuse barons. During his mission, the soldier decided to organize a banquet to which he invited the nobles who he believed were the main responsible for these unrest.
However, it was certainly not a polite appointment: the gentlemen were beheaded during the meal. For the king, this action by Giovanni da Ventimiglia was a reward because it was a symbol of great loyalty. So the soldier received these two rams as a gift, which he had brought to his castle in Castelbuono, a beautiful Sicilian town in the province of Palermo.
However, in 1485 the Ventimiglia rebelled against the king and were therefore banished. The rams were then confiscated and housed in Palermo, first in the Palazzo Steri and then in the Castello a mare. But the journey of the bronze rams did not end there, because in 1735 they were transferred to Naples and then returned to Palermo, where they were kept in the church were appointed Royal Palace.
Then we have to come to 1848, the year in which a cannon shot destroyed one of the two statues and then melted it down. The other, which fortunately suffered only minor damage, was restored and donated Royal Archaeological Museum of Palermo (today Salinas Archaeological Museum) by King Vittorio Emanuele II.
The visit to the Maniace Castle
It all begins with an open space that served as a courtyard in a time that is now very distant. Immediately afterwards you come across a brick bridge, built in place of a Spanish-era drawbridge.
Then we arrive Portal of the magnificent Maniace Castle, which enchants the visitor because it is made of marble and is full of wonderful decorations. With a height of around 12 meters, it presents itself as a huge structure to anyone who decides to cross it.
The interiors, on the other hand, are really exciting. Examples include the Hall of Columns and the Hall of Columns, as well as the two small exhibition rooms, one of which explains the historical development of this mansion and the other shows the results of the archaeological excavations and some reproductions of the two beautiful rams in bronze.
After all, there’s one thing you can’t miss Walk on the fortress walls from which you can enjoy exceptional views of the sea and the city of Syracuse.
What else there is to see in Syracuse
Syracuse, with its almost 2,800-year history, holds many treasures that are waiting to be discovered. There are Greek theaters, Roman ruins, mysterious caves, Norman castles, Gothic and Byzantine churches and even very modern buildings.
In addition to the Maniace Castle, you should not miss the fabulous Cathedral, the most important religious architecture in the city. Located in the highest part of the island of Ortigia, it is the cradle of one of the most beautiful facades in all of Sicily.
It is also extremely interesting Source Aretusa This is an ancient freshwater spring that gives life to a small semi-circular lake in which some really special plants grow: papyrus plants.
Then again the suggestive Beneventano del Bosco Palace In fact, this is one of the most important examples of Baroque architecture in Sicily.
However, if you want to experience a little Sicilian romance, you definitely have to treat yourself to a pleasant walk Alfeo right by the sea that caresses the coast of Ortigia.
Lovers of ancient history should definitely stop by Neapolis Archaeological Park which stands out as a place of great importance. In fact, some of the city’s most important monuments stand out here.
One of them is this Greek theater which is artfully carved into the rock of the Temenite hill and in which some Greek inscriptions with the name Zeus in the middle can still be read.
That is also extraordinaryEar of Dionysius, An artificial cave 23 meters high that offers phenomenal acoustics: it is said that the tyrant Dionysius could hear from outside the words of the prisoners who were locked in the cave at the time.
Finally – but to tell the truth – Syracuse has much more to offer – this Seiler cave, Another underground quarry, today converted into a tourist attraction where you can discover different environments and admire beautiful sculptures created by the master stonemasons of the time.