Frederick's Tower, Enna
The tower would appear to have been built by the Emperor Frederick II
(d.1250) as
a summer palace. It commands the western end of the city - the
oppoiste end to the castle - and stands near the last remaining anceint
city entrance, the
Janniscuru gate. Presumably its latter history is similar to that of the rest of Enna.
Description
The tower is a perfect octagonal prism with a maximum width of 56',
sides of 23' and a current height, minus its battlements, of
88'. At a distance of some 70' the tower is surrounded by an
octagonal curtain wall which has been heavily damaged, but parts of its
enceinte, built of large ashlar blocks, still stands over 15'
high. Of the eight tower faces,
only two appear totally blind. The others have mullioned
windows and loopholes, 7 loops being aligned vertically along the
internal spiral staircase. Two large windows with broken
stick frames illuminate the main room on the first floor on the
northnorthwest and southeast sides. Entrance is by a small ground
floor arched door to
the southsoutheast, but originally was through a door at the internal
stairway,
between the second and third lights. The tower is of 3 storeys, the
last of which has lost more than half its height. The ground
floor consists of a single octagonal room illuminated by three splayed
lancet windows and covered by an umbrella vault. A cistern opened
under the floor. The first floor is similar to the ground
floor - an octagonal room with a ribbed umbrella vault resting on
half-columns with Ionic bases and very damaged capitals with
leaves. To the northeast is a latrine. The top floor seems
to have been some 11' high. Similar main windows are found in
Castel del Monte in Apulia which was also octagonal and ordered
constructed by King Frederick II in 1237. The keep should also be compared with those in Sicily at Erice outer ward (Torri de Ballo), Guiliana and Colombaia castles. The possibly similar keep at Augusta has sadly been destroyed.
Why not join me here and at other Sicilian
castles? Information on this and other tours can be found at Scholarly
Sojourns.
Copyright©2019
Paul Martin Remfry
