Castle of Ventimiglia, Alcamo, Italy

The castle of Ventimiglia is an ancient four towers castle which was built at the end of the 14th century by the Ventimiglia family on the top of Mount Bonifato near Alcamo.

Enrico Ventimiglia, the son of Guarnieri Ventimiglia whom he succeeded to, declared that he had this castle built on Mount Bonifato as a protection from possible attacks. According to different interpretations, the castle, instead, would date back to an anterior period.

The castle was destroyed in 1243 by order of Frederick II; it was rebuilt by the Ventimglia family before 1391 at her own expense.

Originally the castle had four towers and a rectangular trapezoid plan. The only remaining tower is the donjon or 'Torre maestram', that initially had three floors: you could enter it through a wooden ladder at the first floor. This tower is located on the north-west and had a rectangular plan with walls 2.2 m thick. It was the most important in the castle because, thanks to its impressiveness and position, this was a point of strategic sighting as they could check the road leading to the castle, as far as the entrance door, situated on the south-west side.

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User Reviews

Roberto Baiamonte (2 years ago)
Sicily is full of castles and these are an example

Annamaria Latron (2 years ago)
Beautiful ruins of the castle of the Ventimiglia family, as well as the remains of protohistoric occupations in the surroundings. All on Mount Bonifato which dominates the city of Alcamo, in the cool of the woods. Totally free

Adam Hervas (2 years ago)
It is worth giving up and going up here. But on the north road, not on the south road, which is what Google Maps recommended and it was unnecessarily long.

Concetta Adragna (3 years ago)
Yes, breathe some history

Ael Manu (3 years ago)
Spectacular 360-degree view, the tower retains part of the ancient walls ... a place to be enhanced (sin the huge antennas next to it)

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There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.

Castle of Ventimiglia

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