Torremuzza
Torremuzza, near to the modern town of Case
Boschetto, is another castle thought to have Byzantine origins and
sarcophagi as old as the third century BC are said to have been found
here. In 1296 Torremuzza is said to have been a fee called
Cattaino belonging to the heirs of Judge John Manna, while in 1408 it
belonged to Don Nicholas Crisaffi. By 1501 it had become a
prison, although it may have been occupied as late as the 1860s.
Description
Torremuzza castle stands on the summit of a rocky limestone crag
overlooking the river of Troina or Serravalle. This
is within the old fee of Cattaino.
The main castle occupies the highest part of the rock to the northwest and is
another thin, battleship design like Aci
and its ilk, reached via a small flight of steps cut into the
rock. The shattered remnants of a small round keep dominate
the northwest point. It is claimed this was Byzantine, but it has
very thin, poorly built rubble walls. There is also a lack of
Roman materials in the masonry.
To the southeast was the main approach defended by a lower ward which appears
to have contained later prison cells and has one irregular polygonal
tower projecting to the northeast covering the modern entrance.
Traces of a lower fortified bailey or town enclosure lay to the north,
although only segments of the wall survive to the east. What
walling remains of the castle seems mostly poor quality rubble.
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