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CASTELLO DEGLI SCHIAVI

! Via Badala, - 95013 Fiumefreddo di Sicilia - CATANIA
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The Castello degli Schiavi is a jewel of Sicilian Baroque

architecture of the 1700s, which has always been one of
the most evocative constructions of the entire island. The
Castle, which owes its name to a legend, is located on the
Via Marina that Tows from Fiumefreddo towards the sea.
Famous for being used as a set for the famous movie The
Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola, it is an exclusive
location hosting a house / museum and lends itself to
hosting prestigious events.

Castello degli Schiavi History

The Castle of the Slaves stands among the citrus groves

of the magniVcent Taormina Riviera and is a splendid
example of Sicilian rural baroque of the eighteenth century.
The fortiVed villa is just a few minutes from the
Fiumefreddo nature reserve and the famous town of
Taormina.

The building has a slightly sloping façade and this is

thought to have been deliberately intended to further
emphasize the decorations. The surrounding garden is
very large, has its own well and is full of plants of various
nature that make it very impressive. Adjacent to the
building are the warehouses, the stables and the
guardian's residence.

The Castle has two Toors of which the lower one is

dedicated to the conservation of what is produced in the
neighboring land and the upper one, used as a dwelling for
the owners. The entrance to the ground Toor is
represented by a very high central door, circumscribed by a
lava stone cornice and with a light at the top. The upper
Toor has an elegant central balcony with a curved railing
and three very precious hanging lamps. The door of this
balcony is lined with lava stone decorated with various
masks and Tanked by two large windows, aligned with
those below. At each corner of this Toor there are small
towers, which gave the building the name of a castle. Each
of these is faceted, closed at the top and bottom and with
slots on each side, some of which have carved eyes and
ears. Access to the towers is internal and takes place by
means of a small door. Very evident is the imposing loggia
at the top of the building, located on the junction area of
the sloping roof faces. Its height extension is three meters
while the base measures about four and a half for three. It
has three large arched openings on both the eastern and
western sides, and two other of the same dimensions, on
the north side and on the south side. In the direction of
these openings you can admire the statues of two Moors.
As for the interior of the Castle, it is very different between
one Toor and another. The lower Toor is indeed a cold
storage place for various food products, without lights.
The upper Toor, on the other hand, has eight rooms full of
objects that can be traced back to the typically elegant
lifestyle. Among these, worthy of particular attention are
some valuable paintings, including among other things the
coat of arms of the Gravina, ancient texts now
unobtainable, the elegant furniture in typical nineteenth-
century style and the valuable white doors attributable to
the eighteenth century.

The complex has a large courtyard that can accommodate

up to 400 people with a romantic well in the center and an
underground environment with a capacity of 200 people
ideal for hosting wedding ceremonies and business
meetings. The Castle has experienced a period of great
popularity in the late '60s when many directors chose it as
a setting. In 1968 Pier Paolo Pasolini shot some scenes of
the Vlm "L'Orgia" and in 1971 it was the turn of Francis Ford
Coppola who chose it to set some of the main scenes of
"The Godfather" and "the Godfather II" giving the structure
a world famous.

The Castle of the Slaves, in Sicilian "Casteddu di Scavi",

owes its name to a legend: it is said that about two
centuries ago, a talented Palermo doctor, Gaetano
Palmieri, saved the son of the Prince of Palagonia, the
Cruyllas-Gravina, and that these as a sign of gratitude have
given him a plot of his Vef located near Fiumefreddo. The
Palmieri wanted to build a villa to live it together with the
curious, Rosalia, who Tirted with a certain Nello Corvaja of
Taormina. Unfortunately one day they landed Turkish
pirates who gave themselves to the savage looting and,
once arrived at the castle, kidnapped the two owners with
the intention of selling them as slaves. While they were
returning to the beach to escape, however, they were
joined by a group of armed young men, led by Corvaja: the
pirates were killed, the survivors put to Tight and the freed
Palmieri. To thank God, a small church was erected
adjacent to the Castle, dedicated to Our Lady of the Sacred
Letter and a loggia was built where two statues of
Muslims were placed with their eyes turned towards the
sea, as if waiting to be freed from their companions.
Precisely because of the presence of these two Moors (in
Sicilian also "slaves") the Castle has assumed its current
name.

Castello degli Schiavi

TIME PERIOD

" 1700s

WHERE

" Italy, Catania

HISTORICAL FIGURES

" Cruyllas Gravina

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Castello degli Schiavi

! Via Badala, - 95013 Fiumefreddo di Sicilia

# +39 02 56567771

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