Maredolce Alla Favara
The present castle was founded by King
Roger (1101-54) in the outskirts of Palermo,
although there are claims that it was originally a tenth century Arab
palace. According to Archbishop Romuald (d.1182), the king
excavated an artificial lake at Favara which he had stocked with exotic
fishes. He then had a beautiful and splendid palace built
next to it. When completed he lived next to it in Lent due to
the profusion of fish he kept there. The place, as Fabariae and therefore including the castle, seems to have been held by King Tancred (d.1194), unless this was Favara castle in the south. The chapel of Sts. Philip and James was mentioned in 1274. In 1328 the palace was
granted to the Teutonic Knights by Frederick
III (d.1337).
Description
The artificial lake of King Roger is long gone, the water source having
dried up in the sixteenth century. The palace is L shaped
with an irregular internal courtyard. It was entered from the
NW, the only side not enclosed by the lake. One doorway lead
to the king's hall and another to the chapel which is central in the NW
wall and has 3 ‘Byzantine' niches at the apse end.
This is similar to the layout in the chapels at Castronovo, Monreale and
many other Sicilian churches. The most important chambers were to
the SW and have double lancet windows. The NE wing was probably
the original service rooms, but these have been much rebuilt.
The idea that the palace predates the reign of King Roger (d.1154) is
substantiated by the base of the SE wall where the masonry consists of
large ashlar blocks, similar to older Greek work, like that found at
Syracuse or Erice. Above this the walls consist of much
smaller ashlar work and have rectangular loops and windows, the latter
being set in Romanesque blind arches. The 4 doorways to the
NW are all pointed, while the windows tend to Romanesque as do the
blind arches.
Why not join me at other Sicilian
castles? Information on this and other tours can be found at Scholarly
Sojourns.
Copyright©2019
Paul Martin Remfry