Castello di Milazzo

The strategic position of Milazzo is obvious from the enormous Milazzo Castle, built by Frederick II in 1239 and added to by Charles V Aragon. It constitutes the nucleus of the old town and was originally the site of a Greek acropolis, then that of an Arab-Norman citadel. At one time the whole of Milazzo fitted within its huge walls, which command great views of the bay and the Aeolians.

The castle contains the city's Duomo Vecchio (old cathedral) and the ruins of the Palazzo dei Giurati (the old town hall). It is a lovely site to clamber around, full of flowers and crumbling structures. To reach the castle climb the Salita Castello, which rises up through the atmospheric Spanish quarter.