Istituto
Tecnico Statale "G. Caruso"
Via
J.F. Kennedy, 2 - 91011 Alcamo (TP)
Tel. 0924507600-5 Fax 0924507607
The Conti di Modica’s castle, that today has been repaired, is the simbol of Alcamo.
At
the begining the castle was a military construction, so architectural
appearance was not held in due consideration and no sum was allocated to
renovate or to modify it.
The different Arabian built castles, even if vary in the shape, outside should appear threatening and inaccessible places, but confortable indoor.
So in Alcamo the castle was built imposing, in the rhomboidal shape with two round and two square towers, united by emblatted curtains like the towers.
The
north façade of the castle was enriched with two ogive arch windows, with
rose-windows overlaped by a big pointed arch, instead in the principal
façade a double lancet window
with a small white marble column was opened.
The rooms were frescoed according to the hounor of the Sicilian masters.
The most ancient side is the north one; in its façade we can find some double lancet windows (architectural elements of the 14th century).
On the double lancet windows there are rose windows (architectural elements of the 15th century) and on the rose windows there are some small stone archs typical of the 16th century.
So we can deduce that the several families that lived in the castle have made modifications according to the period.
In the west side there is the entry of the castle and it was built between 1400 and 1500.
The pointed arch entry is in gothic-catalan style ( characteristic of the Renaissance in 1500).
Inside
the courtyard, in the south side, there are backstairs, characteristic of
XVI century. Finally, the south side was built in the first years of XVI
century. The castle was built on high, in the south side of the “land”,
isolated, just to show the absolute control of the feudatary on men and
things. The castle was subject to destructive factors , such as
demolitions and repairings, specially for war events. In 1583, an
expenditure for the repairing of the decaying structure of the castle was
foreseen; in 1594, an expenditure for the repairing of the doors, the roof,
the chapel, the room under the old tower and the castellan’s room was
foreseen. In 1689, the main tower partly dertroyed was repaired and, after
that, the wall of the south side of the castle was repaired too.
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