{"id":68546,"date":"2015-04-11T17:28:00","date_gmt":"2015-04-11T16:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sicile-sicilia.net\/?p=68546"},"modified":"2026-10-14T11:08:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T10:08:28","slug":"montalbano-elicona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sicile-sicilia.net\/en\/montalbano-elicona","title":{"rendered":"Montalbano Elicona"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Montalbano Elicona<\/strong> is a beautiful medieval village perched at over 900 metres above sea level, between the Nebrodi mountains and the Peloritani mountains in north-eastern Sicily, and close to an ancient forest.<\/p>\n

A medieval village and natural treasures<\/h2>\n

Its name may derive from the Latin mons albus<\/em> (“white mount”) in reference to the sometimes snow-capped peaks, or from the Arabic al-bana<\/em>, meaning “excellent place”. The name of the Elicona river is of Greek origin, from elikon<\/em> meaning “winding”.
It stands out first of all for its castle, a legacy of the Middle Ages, whose oldest part is a fortress, and the most recent is a royal palace. Its charming historic centre is also one of its assets, made up of a labyrinthine complex of intact medieval alleyways, among sandstone houses, old porches, beautiful churches and works of art.<\/p>\n

About 6 km from the village stretches the altopiano dell’Argimusco<\/strong>, a natural and archaeological site unique in Sicily, dotted with megaliths of suggestive shapes and spectacular panoramas. A little further on, the very ancient Malabotta forest<\/strong> is a site of great natural richness.
In the territory of Montalbano Elicona there are also ancient rural structures called “tholos” or “c\u00f9bburi”, small dry-stone constructions once used as shelters by shepherds.<\/p>\n

This heritage earned Montalbano its inclusion among the “most beautiful villages in Italy<\/a>“, and it was proclaimed “Borgo dei Borghi” at the 2015 edition of a national television competition.<\/p>\n

Castle of Frederick II of Montalbano<\/h2>\n
\"Montalbano<\/a>

Montalbano Elicona<\/p><\/div>\n

At the eastern end of the rocky spur that crowns the hill of Montalbano stands the most important building in the town, the castle of Frederick II<\/strong> (or Frederick III of Aragon), the King of Sicily who made the castle his summer residence between 1302 and 1308.<\/p>\n

It is made up of two parts, one of Byzantine and Arab origin on the heights, fortified by the Normans and the Swabians, and the other an Aragonese fortified palace below the former. The first is a rectangular fortress with two towers attested in the 11th-12th centuries, one with a square section and the other pentagonal, with a crenellated curtain wall of Swabian origin that is well preserved (around 1270).
As for the royal palace built by Frederick III of Aragon, it is characterised by its large windows and doors that gave the building a structural harmony.
The most important room in the building is the royal chapel<\/strong> (Cappella Palatina) of Byzantine origin, which is said to house the remains of Arnaldo de Villanova, physician, alchemist and adviser to Frederick of Aragon.<\/p>\n

\"Arab-Norman<\/a>

Medieval tower<\/p><\/div>\n

A major restoration was carried out in the 1980s. However, the merlons of the battlements, which were originally swallow-tailed (according to the so-called Guelph practice, such as that of the Swabians and Aragonese), became rectangular (which is so-called Ghibelline architecture). <\/p>\n

The castle houses two small medieval museums, one dedicated to weapons, with for example the knight’s panoply, the other devoted to the musical instruments of the period. The museum of bladed weapons covers a period from the 13th to the 17th century, displaying armour, lances and standards, while the museum of instruments traces five centuries of medieval and Renaissance music.<\/p>\n\n\n