Ursino Castle

Catania, Italy, Italy

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Ursino Castle is a striking 13th-century fortress in the heart of Catania, Sicily, built between 1239 and 1250 by order of Emperor Frederick II as a royal castle of the Kingdom of Sicily.

Originally constructed on a coastal cliff to defend the city and symbolize imperial power, it became one of the most important political and military centers on the island. The castle played a major role in Sicilian history, serving as a royal residence and hosting meetings of the Sicilian Parliament during the period of the Sicilian Vespers.

Remarkably, it survived both the 1669 eruption of Mount Etna and the devastating earthquake of 1693, even though these events dramatically altered the surrounding landscape and left the castle nearly a kilometer inland from the sea. Today, Ursino Castle is one of Catania’s most iconic landmarks and houses the city’s Civic Museum.