The rebirth of the enchanting Aragonese fortress of Le Castella has finally begun. The extraordinary restoration of the internal paths of the Castle has been completed and from tomorrow, Saturday 27 July 2024, it will finally be possible to visit the spectacular area of the Borgo, the characteristic, small village enclosed in the south-eastern sector of the Castle, with its small church, shops and breathtaking views of the Ionian Sea.
«We are reopening an enchanting area that has long been closed to the public – he declares Philip DemmaDirector of the Archaeological Parks of Crotone and Sibari, an Institute that has been responsible for the monument for a few months now – but this is just a preview. In fact, the executive projects relating to various restoration, recovery and plant engineering interventions, financed by PNRR funds and the Ministry of Culture, are being delivered to the Archaeological Parks of Crotone and Sibari, which will soon allow us to return to the public a monument that is completely usable and accessible».
The islet on which the Le Castella fortress stands is located at the eastern end of the Gulf of Squillace, in the environmental context of significant naturalistic value of the Capo Rizzuto Marine Protected Area. Connected to the coast by a thin strip of land, it creates a suggestive scenic symbiosis between built architecture and natural architecture. The fortress was built in a strategic position to control the entire Gulf of Squillace. Archaeological excavations have demonstrated the presence of a small settlement in the protohistoric era and, above all, have brought to light the remains of imposing walls in parallelepiped blocks arranged in a checkerboard pattern, dating back to the second half of the 4th century BC, which must have belonged to an initial military fortification system probably dependent on nearby Kroton. The original nucleus of the current fortress dates back to the Angevin period, to which the massive cylindrical tower that today dominates the fortress complex with its grandeur can be traced. The entire fortified architecture subsequently developed around this, which, starting from the 14th century, followed the events of the Kingdom of Naples. But it was during the Aragonese domination that the fortress took on its current form as a result of major renovation work begun by King Alfonso II of Naples and then passed into the hands of Andrea Carafa, Count of Santa Severina, who between 1510 and 1526 had the mighty quadrangular spurred bastions built, according to Spanish construction practices, in order to increase the defensive capacity of the manor.
The site is open to the public every day from 8:30 to 00:00 thanks to a fundamental collaboration between the archaeological parks of Crotone and Sibari and the Municipality of Isola Capo Rizzuto, led by the mayor Maria Grazia VittimbergaThe Borgo area will be open to visitors from 8.30am to 8pm.