The Roccella Ionica Castle sits on a rocky promontory at 104 meters, overlooking the village. Founded during the Norman period by Gualtieri De Collepietro, it later passed to the Ruffo family, then to Galeotto Baldaxi, and finally to the Carafa della Spina family, who restored it between 1479 and 1806. The fortress withstood attacks, including from Turkish corsair Dragut Pasha in 1553. The palace features ruins, including a stone portal with the Carafa crest, a monumental balcony with carved figures, and a courtyard with a star-shaped drainage system. Next to the castle is the Baroque-style Mother Church of St. Nicholas, once connected to the palace by a private choir. The church houses valuable polychrome marble altars, now national monuments.
The Temple of Edfu is one of the best preserved ancient shrines in Egypt. It was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC.
Edfu was one of several temples built during the Ptolemaic Kingdom, including the Dendera Temple complex, Esna, the Temple of Kom Ombo, and Philae. Its size reflects the relative prosperity of the time. The present temple initially consisted of a pillared hall, two transverse halls, and a barque sanctuary surrounded by chapels. The building was started during the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes and completed in 57 BC under Ptolemy XII Auletes. It was built on the site of an earlier, smaller temple also dedicated to Horus, although the previous structure was oriented east–west rather than north–south as in the present site.