Description of the attraction
Castello Maniace is an ancient castle in Syracuse, located on a high promontory at the entrance to the city's harbor. It was built by order of Emperor Frederick II in 1232-1240 and was named after George Maniak, the Byzantine general who conquered Sicily in the 11th century, driving out the Arabs. Nowadays it is one of the most popular sights of the city, attracting the eye with its decorated portal. Once upon a time it was possible to get here by a bridge thrown over the moat, but today it is filled up.
I must say that the first fortified structure on this site was erected immediately after the capture of Syracuse by George Maniak in 1038. And in the 13th century, the castle was rebuilt according to the project of Riccardo da Lentini, and King Pedro III of Aragon and his family moved here. For almost two and a half centuries - from 1305 to 1536 - it housed the residences of the Sicilian queens. In addition, in the 15th century, part of the castle served as a prison. Then Castello Maniace became part of the fortified structures that protected the harbor of Syracuse. And at the beginning of the 18th century, it was restored and firearms were installed in it.
In 1799, King Ferdinand III bestowed the title of Duke on the famous Admiral Horatio Nelson for his help in suppressing a bloody popular uprising in Naples, and in addition, the castle of Castello Maniace. After the marriage of Viscount Bridport to Nelson's niece, the building came into the possession of the Bridport family, who lived here until 1982. They also sold the castle to the regional government. By the way, recently a book by Michael Pratt, dedicated to the Duchy of Nelson, “The Sicilian Anomaly,” which also mentions Castello Maniace, was published.
