Castello Maniace
A 13th-century citadel on Ortygia island, named for a Byzantine general.
The Castello Maniace is a citadel and castle in Syracuse, Sicily, southern Italy, situated at the far point of the Ortygia island promontory. Constructed between 1232 and 1240 by Emperor Frederick II, it bears the name of the Byzantine general George Maniakes, who besieged and took the city in 1038. Originally entered over a bridge spanning a moat (now filled), the castle features a decorated portal and is today a public tourist attraction.
- location
- Syracuse, Sicily, Italy
- built
- 1232–1240
- builder
- Emperor Frederick II
- architect
- Riccardo da Lentini
- named_after
- George Maniakes
- original_use
- Fortress and citadel
- current_status
- Open to the public
Lore & Background
The first fort on the site was built in 1038 by George Maniakes, a Greek general and later Catepan of Italy, after he captured Syracuse from the Arabs for Emperor Michael IV the Paphlagonian. Frederick II, as King of Sicily, had his architect Riccardo da Lentini construct the current castle between 1232 and 1240. King Peter III of Aragon resided here with his family in 1288. During the War of the Sicilian Vespers, the fortress became a lynchpin in the Sicilian defense of the city, and in 1298 it withstood an assault by an Angevin–Aragonese fleet during the Angevin invasion of Sicily.
Reader's Guide
The Castello Maniace served as a residence for numerous queens of Sicily from 1305 to 1536, and in the 15th century it was used as a prison. In the following century it was incorporated into the fortifications defending the harbor and city. A huge explosion damaged it in 1704, after which it was renovated and adapted for the use of guns. Today it stands as a local tourist attraction in Syracuse, preserving its medieval portal and the legacy of its namesake, George Maniakes, as well as its role in Sicilian history under Frederick II and subsequent rulers.
Did You Know?
- The castle is named after Byzantine general George Maniakes, who captured Syracuse in 1038.
- It was built between 1232 and 1240 by Emperor Frederick II's architect Riccardo da Lentini.
- King Peter III of Aragon resided here with his family in 1288.
- A huge explosion damaged the castle in 1704, after which it was renovated for gun use.
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