Palazzo Adriano
Castello Borbonico
Castello Borbonico in Palazzo Adriano is first mentioned as a hamlet
in 1160 and later in 1182 as an inhabited place, Adrianum.
In 1277 it was still recorded as a hamlet and only finally in 1349
as a castle when Palacium
Adriani submitted to the royal authority. By
1374 it was held by Count Manfred Chiaramonte (d.1391), the lord of Caccamo. On
the execution of his son, Count Andrew of Modica in 1392, Palazzo
Adriano was given to Galdo Millars who then sold it on to Bartolomew
Russo. It then passed through several hands, last being
mentioned as a functional castle about 1500.
Description
The castle was built within the early hamlet, probably
by the Chiaramontes. It consists of a rectangular enceinte
roughly 170' by 100'. A large rectangular tower, possibly
originally the keep, is set to the wouthwest. Another rectangular
tower lay to the northwest, with a range of buildings lying between
them. The east side has been largely built over and
is now occupied by the
Museum of Albanian culture. The castles is built of rubble
with poor quoining. Many of the original openings in the
fortress have been walled up and many new doors created at ground floor
level for convenience. The masonry has been recently pointed
and consequently looks very fresh.
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