Castello Ursino

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Castello Ursino is a castle in Catania, Sicily. Built circa from 1239 to 1250, it belonged to Emperor Frederick II, King of Sicily, and was considered impregnable at the time. In 1295, during the Sicilian Vespers, the Parliament which declared deposed James II of Aragon as King of Sicily, replacing him with Frederick III, wsa held here. The following year it was captured by Robert of Anjou but was later again in Aragonese hands.

King Frederick III resided in the castle, as well as his successors Peter II, Louis, Frederick IV and Mary. Here the latter was kidnapped by William Raymond Moncada to avoid her marriage with Gian Galeazzo Visconti (1392). King Martin I held also his court in the castle.

After the move of the capital away from Catania and the appearance of powder weapons, the castle lost its military role and was used as prison. It is one of the few buildings in Catania to have survived the earthquake of 1693. The castle has a rectangular plan, with a large circular tower at each corner.

When the castle was first built, it was on a cliff looking out to sea, however as the result of volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes, it is now a kilometre inland. The castle's former moat too in the 17th century was filled with lava from an eruption by Mount Etna.

Today the castle houses the Catania Civico Museum, and an Art Gallery.