Calatubo Castle: a fortress and a certainty since the 7th century BC

Sicily is the island of traditions, art and culture. It is the place where history intertwines with the present and you can breathe it, while silently surrounding us. The province of Trapani has scenic and historical beauties that have always attracted hundreds and hundreds of tourists every year on a national and international scale. And today we want to suggest, as a stop on your itinerary in north-western Sicily, Alcamo and its magnificent Calatubo Castle.

And this splendid fortress, which we will discuss, is not the only thing you can visit. In fact, the province of Trapani is an excellent starting point for exploring other places such as the numerous historic wine cellars including Florio and Pellegrino, the Zingaro nature reserve and its wonderful and uncontaminated sea and the splendid white sand beach of San Vito lo Capo.For those who love culture there is the Archaeological Park of Selinunte, Segesta and the island of Mozia, not to be missed is the mediaeval village of Erice, the Egadi islands and the salt pans of Trapani. And don't worry, after a day of travelling and discovering the territories of Sicily, you can always relax in one of our beautiful private villas with swimming pools.

But let's go back to Alcamo! A very suggestive stronghold, the Castle of Calatubo is located on a rocky outcrop and dominates the gulf of Castellammare and the hinterland up to Mount Bonifato. The position of the site, crossed by important communication routes, the richness of its territory and the presence of a port explain a settlement already in the archaic age and the importance it assumed over the centuries.
Over the course of time, the fortress has undergone several variations also on the basis of the different uses: from military to agricultural, to abandonment, to various recovery attempts.

Starting from the Middle Ages, due to its visibility, the castle of Calatubo played an important strategic role: in fact it was part of a line of towers and forts located along the coast that goes from Palermo to Trapani; this defensive line was used to transmit light signals in case of attack by Saracen enemies. Following the conquest by Frederick II, the castle lost its original function as a military fortress, turning into a “baglio”. During this period, warehouses, stables and other structures used for agricultural administration were added to the castle.

The Castle remained intact until 1968, the year of the Belice earthquake which shook a good part of Sicily. The year 2013 was no different when a strong fire blackened the walls and caused damage to the structure. Since then, there have been several recovery attempts. The municipality of Alcamo bought the castle in 2007; between 2003 and 2014 it was reported several times for the initiative "The Places of the Heart'' winning the money of the Italian Environment Fund (FAI) in 2014. On this occasion, a path was created by the volunteers of the association "Salviamo il Castello di Calatubo'' (“Let’s save the Calatubo Castle”) and the fortress received 5,000 visits in just 3 days. In 2016 it was reopened to the public for a two-day cultural event but only in 2017 was an agreement signed between the municipality of Alcamo and the association "Salviamo il Castello di Calatubo" in order to safeguard and protect the castle of Calatubo , the fortress where it stands, its caves and the surrounding archaeological area.