Castle of Count Luna (or of Queen Sibilla)

The first of the two names of the fortress that dominates the area of Caltabellotta derives from the noble family that over the centuries held the longest ownership; the second from the queen mother Sibilla who in 1194, after the death of her husband, the Norman king Tancredi, gave refuge to her son Guglielmo III, heir to the throne, to protect him from the unstoppable advances of the Swabian emperor Arrigo VI in Sicily. Few traces remain of what must have once been an impregnable Byzantine fortress: a wall, a significant double-arched portal with a pointed outline on the exterior and an all rounded interior and the foundations of some rooms. Even though from an archaeological point of view very little has been preserved, the steep staircase set in the rock remains nonetheless impressive. The summit, commonly known as “Pizzo” has a height of 949m above sea level and the mighty walls of the manor rise up on its slopes.